


Mad Mobs-Autumn

by RabidSquid



Series: Misadventures of the Mad Mob [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Bikers, Alternate Universe - Canada, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angela "Mercy" Ziegler is secretly a metalhead, Aunty Moira, Bastion is a cryptid, Chef Junkrat, Classic Cars, DAD76, Dad Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Dadhog, Despite being 4, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Feud - Freeform, Family Fluff, Forgiveness, Gremlin Hana "D.Va" Song, Hana "D.Va" Song is a life counsellor, Jesse McCree is a Little Shit, Junkrat escaped Australia, Kid Hana, Kid Lúcio, Kid Sombra, Love Triangles, Maori Roadhog | Mako Rutledge, Mixed Martial Arts, Moira is an awkward parent, Motorcycles, Multi, Overwatch characters did not join Overwatch, Post-Omnic Crisis, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes is a Softie, Reinhardt is a school principal, Roadhog and Moira are rugby nuts, Roadhog is a cranky dad, Rugby, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Sort Of, Young Junkrat | Jamison Fawkes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-04-27 11:26:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14424417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RabidSquid/pseuds/RabidSquid
Summary: Gabriel is a SWAT Commander trying to raise one aloof and emotionally numb teenage daughter and 3 unruly kids when his nemesis moves into town.Jack and Ana are new detectives in town with their kids adjusting to the new place while Jack attempts to avoid killing and/or maiming an old enemy.Mako employs a gifted young mechanic to help keep his and Jamie's automatic mechanics shop afloat an top of coaching a rugby team.Moira attempts to connect with a goddaughter she barely knows and has to learn 18 years of parenting in months.





	1. Beginning at Day's End

"You get started on tucker, I'll finish closing up." The command came from a giant of a man, his hulking frame clad in brown overalls that were painted with grease and oil stains. His massive hands tentatively arranged the socket wrenches in the bright red toolbox, his long silver hair done up in a topknot that better showed the ta moko that had been etched into his face.

"Sure thing." The response was from a lanky teenager no older then fifteen, his right leg a ramshackle peg leg made of various odds and ends of scrap metal. His wild and sooty blonde hair stood up like a forest fire, his black oversized coveralls zipped down to his hips with its sleeves tied around his waist. Putting the power drill back in its case, he started climbing the stairway that made its way through the ceiling of the garage.

Humming to himself, Mako Rutledge began clicking the many padlocks onto his toolboxes shut before he unscrewed the hose from the propane tank, the giant winding the tube up before putting it in the jawbox. His silver eye brow went up when he recognized the pipewrench that was lying next to the welding mask.

"Jamie..." The immense man muttered as he took the wrench and hooked it into his toolbelt. Grabbing his welding torch, he then packed up the thick and blackened welding jacket away before locking the metal box.

Checking that the garage door was locked, Mako then trudged up the stairs to the loft. Aside from the bathroom, there were no real boundaries, the entire place just one big room. A large and worn couch was in one part along with an old recliner in front of a boxy TV, a counter with scattered pots and pans taking up one wall with a hot plate and sink next to it.

"Well I've ripped and dug out burrows on a sandy bullock hill, eradicatin' rabbits don't take a lot of skill..." Jamie sung to himself as he stirred the sizzling meat in the frying pan on the hot plate. "...corned beef toasties sound good?" He asked over his shoulders.

"That it does." Mako replied as he produced a clean undershirt and sweatpants from the folded clothes on the floor. "Once I'm done, you're having a shower."

"Alright..." Jamie grumbled as he slid two pieces of bread into the toaster. While the closest thing to a parent he had showered, the youth produced a weathered notebook from his coverall's pockets and ghosted over his chickenscratch writing with his pencil. His math was correct, but what had him on edge was the final number. "Bloody Canucks..."

Closing his notebook, Jamie stuffed it back into his pockets and resumed cooking. A little while later Mako emerged from the shower, the immense man gesturing for Jamie to have his. While Jamie showered, Mako began serving spoonfuls of fried corned beef onto his toasted bread before putting two more slices in.

By the time Jamie finished, he found Mako in his recliner and a fresh and hot sandwich was waiting for the youth. Scooping up his plate, Jamie took his seat on the couch before digging in. "Cheers mate."

The grunt that came from the giant of a man was one that only Jamie and one other man could identify as 'you're welcome'. Mako flicked on the TV, the two getting comfy as they watched an old comedy act from Samoa.

Neither one of the Rutledges really spoke, but they shared in laughter at the skits and sketches, Mako's deep rumbling belly laughs accompanied by Jamison's hysteric cackling.

 

* * *

 

There was a chaotic beauty to painting, her brushes dancing across the canvas to leave a trail of gold. Dipping her brush into the jar of water, Moira loaded her brush with a red paint before she resumed her strokes. The only light in the house came from the bulb that was over her shoulder, the redhead softly humming along with the music that came from her record player.

Hearing the locks to the door click, Moira turned her head to see her niece entering before closing the door behind her. "Evening Emily." Using up the last of the paint on her brush, Moira turned in her seat so she could face her last blood relation. "How'd study group go?"

"We finished our history paper." The longer haired redhead answered as she kicked her boots off into the closet, her large military-style overcoat following.

Nodding, Moira's ever-so-slightly trembling hands scratched the back of her head. "So...anything profoundly interesting happen today?"

"Um...nothing out of the ordinary." Emily folded her hands behind her back, the teenager looking anywhere but at her aunty.

The two stood in awkward silence, neither one looking at the other as they took turns opening their mouths to say something before shutting it again. By the time the sun had completely vanished, they both broke into jumbled stammering.

"So I've got to do my teeth and face..."

"...I just remembered there's still some dishes to do..."

"...it's a school night..."

"...I don't want to keep you up..."

Eventually the two managed an awkward 'goodnight' to each other before retreating to their respective rooms. Rubbing her temples, Moira exhaled as she sat at the edge of her bed. A few photos were here and there in the room, the pictures depicting her in various places ranging from the Andes to Auckland and London, the redhead in a military uniform in all of them with the red cross sewn onto her sleeve. "I'm her godmother, I've known her since she was born, how could this be so hard..."

Emily was lying down with her face buried in her pillow. Her floors were clear of the majority of her clothes, posters of Irish rugby teams and the All Blacks along the walls while a watercolor painting of a couple that was a spitting image of her was the most prominent decoration. "Aunty, I'm gay, I like girls, there's one at school I really like...why is this so difficult?"

The O'Deorain household remained silent, both redheads thinking of a thousand different things to speak of, yet not a single one of their thoughts was voiced aloud.

 

* * *

 

"Thanks again for letting us stay the week." Jack called out behind him as he wiped off the last of the grease and crumbs from the plates in the sink, the ex-soldier smiling as he watched his son help clear the table, Lucio carrying the plates and cutlery to the sink.

"It's no trouble Jack." Ana replied as she finished packing the leftovers into the fridge. All over the house were boxes, most of them taped up and the few that were open revealed bubble-wrapped content.

Lena had finished stacking the dried plates on the counter next to the sink, the dish towel slung over her shoulder. "Um, Aunty?" The teenager motioned to the clean dishes. "Where do these go?"

Glancing at the cupboards, Ana pointed to the one closest to the sink. "That one for now Lena."

"Finally!" A victorious voice called out from down the hall, Fareeha appearing moments later, the teenager dragging a rather large box to the living room with Hana pushing the box from the opposite side. "Got the mattresses and beddings!"

"You go help your sister make some room in the living room, okay?" Jack ruffled his five year-old son's messy hair as the boy replied with a determined 'yes'.

"Thanks for helping me with the box." Fareeha remarked as she ruffled Hana's hair, the four year-old giggling. Before long she and the youngest of the Morrison kids had made enough room for the mattresses on the floor in a gigantic bed.

"It's so soft!" Hana excitedly yelped as she bounced on the twin-sized mattress that was next to another one of the same size, a queen-sized mattress joining them to form a super-sized bed.

"We should make a pillow fortress!" Lucio's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I call dibs on being the queen then!" Lena added before she belly-flopped onto the mattresses, the Brit laughing as Hana and Lucio tried to dog-pile onto her.

"Now, now children, we still need to get sheets and blankets." Ana chided, but she could not suppress her grin.

There was a quiet clinking as Jack finished putting away the last of the knives and forks. "And you all still have to brush your teeth."

There was a collective 'awwww' from the Morrison kids. "But Pharah was going to fight Lena to be the queen of comfy!" Lucio protested.

"I actually wasn--" Fareeha began, but she was cut off as Hana's arms wrapped themselves around her neck.

"You will not defeat Queen Lena!" Hana yelled.

Fareeha was dumbstruck at the sight before Lucio swatted Hana off with a pillow. "C'mon Pharah, we're taking the girls down!"

"Oh no you don't!" Lena gave a war cry as she threw a pillow at Fareeha's face.

Arming herself with a pillow in each hand, Fareeha gave a diabolical grin. "Alright then Lucio, let's take the crown!"

Watching the childish chaos erupt, Ana stifled a giggle with her hand. "Oh to be young again..."

"Speak for yourself, I am still young and hip." Jack retorted sarcastically, the silver flecks in his short blonde hair and cropped beard betraying his claim.

"It's called 'aging gracefully' Mr. Denial." Ana jibed as she released her silver and black hair from its braid.

The Amari household was more then merry with their company of the Morrisons, excited yelps and playful war cries resounding through the night in a shared moment of undiluted joy.

 

* * *

 

There was a quiet click as Gabriel locked the front door before he tossed his beat-up black jacket into the closet, his heavy boots following to reveal the bright purple socks he wore. Cracking his neck bones back into place, Gabriel then tiptoed across the floor towards the living room. A large-screen TV dominated one wall while a large couch and an old leather recliner sat opposite to it, Gabriel finding an unusual sight in his chair.

She was about 5 years old, the small Latina girl curled up in Gabriel's recliner in purple pajamas that sported grinning white skulls all over them. Her long hair was loose from its braid, ebon locks becoming quite messy.

"She wouldn't go to bed without seeing you." A familiar voice commented.

"Did she have to claim my chair though?" Gabriel replied in a lighter tone that none knew he was capable of.

Angela quietly snickered. "What can I say, she really missed her father." While she still kept her hair tied back, Angela's golden hair was still a bit messy while the single light that was on in the house revealed the pasta sauce stains in her grey turtleneck.

"So who's running an iron man course tomorrow?" Gabriel eyed the red stain on Angela's sweater suspiciously.

"Well Jesse wanted to see if Genji could deflect projectile meatballs." Gabriel groaned in response to that, Angela rubbing her temples. "Lovely kid he may be, but there are times I want to smack that cowboy."

"Can't blame ya Angela." Gabriel replied as he joined the blonde in the kitchen, freshly-cleaned dishes and cutlery stacked next to the sink. "Anything else I need to tell them not to do tomorrow?"

Angela shook her head. "Amelie did finish that history paper, Jesse and Genji took care of cleaning up their mess at least, and Sombra just refused to go to bed without seeing you."

"That's good to hear." Gabriel sighed in relief. "So how's the hospital going? Did Mrs. Dawson finally have that baby?"

"Twins actually." Angela answered. "And Lance finally passed that kidney stone."

"A lot of screaming in agony today huh?" Gabriel joked as he leaned back on the counter.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Like your job's any better in that regard."

"Touche doctor."

The two shared a brief and quiet laugh before Angela spoke again. "I really would love to chat more Gabriel, but we could both use some sleep. You've got that zombie look again."

"Speak for yourself, you could pass for one of the brides of Dracula." Gabriel retorted with a grin.

Angela lightly punched the SWAT commander's arm. "You are such a pain sometimes."

"You would know, you're the doctor."

Before long, Angela had donned her jacket and was pulling her shoes on while Gabriel rummaged through his wallet. "For providing my household with an essential service." The commander handed a wad of bills to the doctor.

"Danke Gabriel." Angela tucked the payment into her purse. "You need some help, you know where to find me."

"Thanks for looking after my kids." Gabriel pulled her in for a hug, a gesture that he was rumored to be incapable of.

Angela returned the embrace as she wrapped her arms around him. "Of course, alter freund."

Parting, Angela left the house and crossed the lawn to her car while Gabriel waved goodbye from the front door. Watching her drive off, Gabriel closed and locked the door before approaching his youngest. "Eres una niña obstinada..." Gabriel murmured as he scooped Sombra into her arms and tucked her into her bed.

The Reyes household remained quiet, all five of them dreaming of many things from a metal dragon in the sea to the nightmarish warzones of a war long past.


	2. Collision Course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seeds have been sown...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided to make this work a 4 part series, each work set during one of the seasons of the same year. I have some fun (if a bit outlandish) ideas in mind, I do hope you like them. And if you have some fun ideas or encouraging words, feel free to drop a comment below!

Gabriel was an absurdly heavy sleeper. During the Omnic Crisis he slept through a heavy artillery bombardment that levelled an entire city block, Gabriel waking up to find himself in the midst of ashen wreckage wondering what happened to the dugout he was sleeping in. Thundering guns, raging storms, and even devastating earthquakes couldn't shake Gabriel out of his sleep, but oddly a small Latina girl could.

The darkness of closed eyes gave way to blinding sunlight, Gabriel groaning at the sudden brightness. He could feel a small pair of hands shaking the fatigue out of his system, the commander sitting up to see Sombra smiling widely at her handiwork. "Morning sweetie." Gabriel tiredly commented as he ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Morning papa." Sombra was still in her pajamas, Gabriel guessing that he hadn't overslept too much. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not too bad." Gabriel yawned as he stretched his back, his spine cracking. "How about you?"

"I wanted to surprise you when you got home..." Sombra pouted, her father chuckling.

"I'm sure you will one of these days." Pulling back the black covers to reveal his equally ebon singlet and shorts, Gabriel got to his feet. "Now either I'm greatly decieved or I smell pancakes and bacon."

Sombra excitedly leapt to her feet. "Jesse is teaching Genji how to make them!"

Gabriel's stony face betrayed none of the abject horror he felt at the realization that Jesse was cooking. "...that's great to hear."

Sombra tilted her head in confusion. "Papa? Your eye's twitching."

"How perceptive of you." Gabriel planted a quick kiss on her forehead. "Now go get dressed, it's...." He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "...9:43." Watching his youngest child head out of his room, Gabriel was struck with a sudden heaviness when he realized how quickly time had passed. It was like yesterday when Sombra first learnt to say 'papa'.

Rummaging through his dresser, Gabriel got a pair of black cargo pants out along with another slate grey singlet that did not reek of sweat. Carrying them under one arm, he then headed towards the bathroom. Opening the door he saw his eldest putting the finishing touches to her long ponytail. "Morning Ame. Comment ca va?"

The faintest signs of a smile tugged at Amelie's lips, the teenager dressed in a lavender sweater and black leggings as she finished tightening her hairtie. "Bueno, Papa."

Chuckling, Gabriel leaned over to kiss his daughter's cheek before placing his clean clothes next to the sink. "Sleep well?"

"...no worse then usual." Amelie answered flatly.

Eyeing his daughter, Gabriel could see the signs; her neutral gaze, her almost corpse-like demeanour, the flat and empty tone. He'd seen too many good people become a ghost of their old selves in the Crisis, but seeing the deathly look in his eldest poked a snarling beast in his heart that cried for bloody retribution against whatever took her happiness away.

But those cries went quiet when it recalled who she had lost.

"Jesse is cooking, think you can keep an eye on him?" When his daughter nodded, Gabriel shoo'd her out of the bathroom. "And put some proper pants on before you catch a cold, winter's coming."

While her foster father showered, Amelie was making her way to her room when she felt a tugging on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw Sombra. "Can you help me with my hair Amy?"

Amelie's face remained slack, but a small part of her uncontrollably sweared in French. That same part of her began wondering if Sombra called her that just to irritate her. "Alright, meet me in the dining room. We need to make sure that Genji doesn't pick up on Jesse's cooking skills."

The adolescents in question were in the kitchen that commanded a view of the rest of the main floor of the house, Genji flipping pancakes while Jesse encouraged him. "Fer yer first time at this, ya ain't doing too bad!"

"I will admit it's a little different from what I did back home, but I do see why you Americans cook this way." Genji commented. While he kept his black hair short, Genji still wore a plain green bandanna over his forehead. "Anything else that requires attention?"

"Just the meat." Jesse was about to start prepping it but Genji offered to instead.

"I am quite capable with a blade." Genji mentioned as he drew a carving knife from the knife block. In one fluid motion he easily sliced the bacon and string sausages, his hands easily cutting the meats into fine pieces.

Jesse whistled as he flipped a few pancakes. "Yer quite handy with a shank."

"My father believed that the steadiest hands were the strongest." Genji remarked as he scraped the freshly cut meats into a frying pan, the crackle of sizzling accompanying a most alluring aroma.

"Jesse, please do not overuse the butter again." Amelie ordered while Sombra seated herself at the table.

"Hey now, I'm just trying to make sure that breakfast won't burn."

Amelie raised an eyebrow at that. "At the cost of the kitchen again?"

Jesse's brow furrowed at that reminder. "We needed a new stove anyways." Grumbling, he resumed trying to teach his foster brother cooking. So what if he made a bonfire in the kitchen? They were planning on roasting marshmallows later that night anyways.

 

* * *

 

"So what's the news doc?" Jamison asked as he rolled up his grimy shirt's sleeve.

Pressing her fingers to his flesh wrist, Angela checked her watch. "...your beats per minute are about 61." Jotting the number onto her clipboard, her cobalt eyes looked up to Jamie's golden irises. "That's about 8 more then last month!"

"...izzat good?" Jamie tilted his head as he owlishly blinked.

Giggling, Angela released his wrist. "It means that your heart is improving." Retrieving her penlight, she held it up to his eyes and briefly flashed the light into each eye. "...irises are responding much better then before."

Blinking away the spots in his eyes, Jamie still had a look of wonderment, as if he was in a dream he didn't want to wake from. "Y'mean...the treatment's workin'?"

"Indeed it is!" Angela finished jotting on her clipboard before putting it to the side. "And I don't know if anyone's told you, but the bald patches in your hair are filling in."

Almost immediately Jamison's hands shot for his scalp. "Wot?!" He began carding through his messy blonde hair, the Austrailian managing an amazed chuckle. "It's...it's really workin'!"

Moments later, the two were at the front desk of the clinic, the hulking frame of Mako waiting in one of the seats. Getting to his feet, the behemoth simply tossed a key ring to the boy, the Australian nodding before heading outside. Once Jamison was out the door, the Maori man turned to the doctor, his head tilted.

"The treatment for his radiation poisoning is working." Angela answered gently. "Judging by his results this past month, I'd estimate that he'd be cured within 10 months."

She noticed the slight change in Mako's shoulders, the giant releasing the breath he had been holding. "Thank you Angela."

"He's a strong kid Mako." Angela remarked. "Stronger then he gives himself credit for."

Nodding, Mako jammed his burly hands into the pockets of his cargo pants that were tucked into his steel toed boots. "You up to much tonight? I reckon I owe you a drink."

Angela contemplated the offer for a moment. "...a drink after work does sound nice."

"James Joyce at 9." Mako then exited the building, his giant hand fiddling with his cellphone. Grumbling at the absurd size difference between his thumb and the screen, he managed to send a text to a contact depicting David Bowie.

'Doctor's in. Get the cop'

 

* * *

 

Aside from the sounds of Juice Newton's rendition of Angel of the Morning on the radio, all was quiet in the pitch black Rolls Royce Phantom. Emily was in the passenger seat while Moira drove the car into the parking lot, the redheads finding the view out the windscreen to be very interesting. So interesting, that they kept quiet to avoid disturbing the other from admiring the view.

Swallowing, Moira finally spoke. "Usual time?"

Nodding, Emily reached for her gym bag. "Thanks for the lift Aunty."

The two exchanged small smiles before Emily hopped out, the teenager heading for the large field they were parked by, a group of 20 or so girls Emily's age practicing rugby drills while a giant man with a silver topknot directed them, a lanky boy with a peg leg rummaging through a cooler.

Wringing the wheel a few times, Moira finally breathed out as she reversed and headed downtown. It wasn't long before she was on 9th Avenue, the sides of the street full of cafes, resteraunts, art supply and music shops, and many more. What drew the painter to this street though was not the hundreds of different choices for lunch and places to restock her paints, but rather the colorful chaos around her. None of the big franchise chains had a hold, every single store unique and irreplacable. Recognizing the Victorian-era architechture for one, Moira parked in front of the Baya Rica Cafe, the redhead hopping out of her lavish car.

Heading inside, Moira kept her relief to herself as she surveyed the all but empty cafe, only 2 other people around. The furnishings were simple wooden tables and chairs, paintings hanging from the walls while the noon sunlight spilled through the large windows. "Usual I presume?" A voice from the counter remarked.

"With a lemon and lime tart too please." Moira replied. Her order was ready in mere moments, the tall woman taking the corner seat that afforded her a view of the entire cafe. Sipping her hot chocolate, Moira's mismatched eyes scanned the few that were here with mild interest. An older pair had their backs to her as they made their way out the door, but something about them seemed familiar. The black and silver braid on the woman or the short blonde hair could've belonged to someone Moira knew, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I'm probably overthinking it..." The redhead mused before she opened her sketchbook to a blank page. Producing a pencil from her jacket's inner pocket, her thin hands danced across the paper, her thoughts taking shape with each stroke of the pencil. It wasn't until there was a vibration in her pocket that her concentration broke.

Producing her phone, she recognized the contact picture of a grinning skull and crossbones with a message; 'Hola, what did you have in mind tonight?'

Her manicured nails clacked while the gloved fingers on her right hand made a muffled 'bmmf' on the screen as she sent her reply. 'James Joyce at 9?'

'Can Em help keep an eye on the mob?'

'Yes'

'I'll be there.'

 

* * *

 

Fareeha and Lena set down the couch, the Brit panting as she leaned on her knees while the older girl snickered. "I'm a sprinter, not a weight lifter." Lena remarked.

"I could tell." Fareeha quipped.

"We're back kiddies!" Jack announced as he pushed the door open, a large box tucked under his arm.

"Dad!" Hana and Lucio called out together as they bolted towards Jack, the two tackling his waist in a hug.

Chuckling, Jack easily made his way to the kitchen with the younger two clinging to him. "How did the unpacking go?"

"Aunty Ana's got a lot of cool stuff!" Lucio answered as he finally hopped off. "Like that statue of a bird-headed guy!"

"Or that shirt with a skull and crossed guns with a rose in it's teeth!" Hana added as she climbed her way up to her father's shoulders.

"Or the globe that can open up!"

"Or that rectangular hammer!"

Closing the door behind her, Ana chuckled. "Well I'm quite the collector, perhaps I could find a few things for your birthdays..."

Placing the box on the counter, the aroma of fruits and flour emanated from it. "You've all been working hard, so how about some muffins!"

The younger two were quick to jump up and down at that, Fareeha and Lena quick to approach the kitchen. Handing out a muffin each, Jack took one for himself. "Now remember, what do you say?"

"Thank you Aunty!" Lucio, Hana, and Lena chirped.

As both families dug into the baked goods, Lucio wandered over to a half-opened box, his head tilted at the strange glint. His muffin finished, he produced a framed photo, his eyes widening. While they were younger, he recognized his father and his aunty in the picture, but two men were joining them; one of them was about Jack's size and dressed in entirely black fatigues with an equally onyx toque while the other was huge and had a mane of gold hair tied back to reveal the scar over his eye.

"Whatcha got there Luci?" Tracer asked as she hovered above her younger brother.

"Look, it's Dad and Aunty Ana!" The boy called out as he held the picture up for his older sister.

Hana was quick to run over. "I wanna see!"

Lena had an odd look as she allowed Hana to look at the photo. "Who's the scary guy and the giant?"

"Scary giant?" Fareeha tilted her head. Looking at the photo, her eyes brightened up. "Oh yeah...Uncle Gabe and Reinhardt."

Jack had his back to the kids, but Ana recognized the way his back immediately straightened as if he heard a gunshot. "Uncle Gabe?!" Hana and Lucio exclaimed.

Lena and Fareeha exchanged worried looks. "Um...well..."

"Me and your father had an argument with Uncle Gabe." Ana interjected.

The younger two went 'oooohhhh' at that before Hana spoke again. "So who's Reinhardt?"

"A friend of ours in Germany." Jack answered, his shoulders still tense. "He was still stationed in Bavaria when we came back, but we've heard he might be moving out west."

"He's huge!" Lucio exclaimed, the German in question about a foot and a half taller then Jack.

Some of the tension seemed to ease from his shoulders as the former-solider chuckled, "That he was."

"You and Uncle Gabe look so happy! Were you friends?" Lucio asked and there was a clatter of dishes as Jack suddenly threw his soapy hands in the air and said in an overly cheerful voice.

"I have an idea, -let's change subjects!" Jack prayed to any merciful god that was out there that the strain was not showing.

"But-"

"We're changing subjects!" Jack quickly spoke over his youngest's protests and stuffed a piece of muffin in their mouths, "Now enjoy this delicious muffin and go have fun with your sisters!"

Stretching his face into a strained imitation of a smile, Jack swiftly swiped the picture from Lucio's hand and shooed them out of the kitchen. The second they were out of earshot he let out a loud sigh and collapsed into a near-by chair. Despite himself he ended up looking at the picture and in a moment of childish pettiness he held out a hand, "Gimme a pen. I'm doodling all over this jerk's face."

Ana snorted and crossed her arms, "It does the heart ill to dwell on such grudges you know. Plus-" She made her way over to him and plucked the photo out of his hands, "This is my photo. You want to scribble on something like a child then go use your own."

Jack muttered something huffily and Ana raised a brow, "Come again?"

"...I already did." He sulked and his companion rolled her eyes as she suppressed a smile. 

"Of course you did." 

Taking one last look at the old Polaroid, Ana gently placed it back where the children got it from when there was a chiming sound behind her.   
She looked over her shoulder to see Jack studying his phone and he lifted his head, "Angela texted, says she wants to introduce us to some local friends of hers tonight."

"Who will watch the kids?"

"Lena can look after them well enough."

"Lena?" Ana asked pointedly and after a stretch of contemplative silence Jack sighed in defeat, "Ok, Pharah can look after them, right?"

The Egyptian woman nodded, "I'll ask. What time are we going?" 

"8-9ish?" 

"Sounds good. I'll let the children know while you finish the dishes."

Jack chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet. "Yes'mam." 

As he resumed his chores, Ana made her way to where the sounds of excited squeals came from and subtly checked her own phone. There was a message from a winged, golden icon. 

'Ready?'

She felt a prickle of unease at the night ahead, but with a steeling breath she typed back, 'Always. C u on the front lines, comrade' and sent the message.  
Hopefully, they'd get through this evening in one piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some headcanons;  
> -Gabriel is learning French while Amelie learns Spanish. So far the full scope of their linguistic capability in each other's languages is limited to the 'Hello', 'How are you?', 'I am good', and 'Do you speak English or Spanish/French?'  
> -Thanks to Hana and Lucio, Jack is a sucker for kpop music and often sings while he cooks  
> -Mako refuses to eat pork of any kind, but he has no compunction against beef, chicken, or lamb and he is a sucker for seafood  
> -Moira is ochlophobic


	3. Drunken Lullabyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...now reap the whirlwind

For a group of kids renowned throughout their entire neighborhood for being 'miniature anarchists', all was unusually quiet in the Reyes household. Lounging on the couch, Amelie watched her brothers carrying out their situps, the two clearly exhausted. "...26....27....28......29....and 30." The French girl called out.

Immediately Genji and Jesse flopped over on the floor like fishes out of water. "Thirty situps, pushups, laps around the house, and sixty squats." The eldest of the Reyes children listed, her golden eyes narrowing. "So what have you learnt?"

"No more..." Jesse wheezed, his chest heaving.

Genji was faring no better, his chest heaving. "...torture."

"Non, that was not it." Amelie corrected them as she took a sip from her mug.

"No more...food fights." Jesse shakily remarked as he uneasily got off the floor. Leaning on his knees, he then helped Genji up.

"You can shower now." Amelie remarked, the two boys making their way to their room. Not long after they left the living room, the French teenager resumed leafing through her book. Her long black hair was released from its customary ponytail, Amelie softly humming to herself as her golden eyes read the story of a dream king that had descended into Hell to challenge a demon for the helm made of bone and glass.

The duel was reaching its end when the front door creaked open, Sombra and a familiar redhead entering. "Are the lads done with their workout?" Emily asked, her backpack fit to burst.

"Oui." Amelie replied as she got to her feet. Sombra in the meantime was helping Emily with getting the various bags of chips and pop bottles out of her backpack.

"So this is for me..." Sombra remarked as she carried all 3 chip bags. "...what are you three having?"

Both teenagers pointedly raised an eyebrow at the 5 year-old.

Pouting, Sombra made her way towards the kitchen. "Okay, I'll put these in a bowl."

Shaking her head, Amelie began taking the 2-litre Sprite bottle to the coffee table in the living room. "At least I'll be out of here during her teenage years." The Frenchwoman yelped as Emily swatted her shoulder.

"Be nice, I'd kill for a sibling or two." Emily quipped.

"You can take a few of mine then." Amelie retorted with a slight smile as she cracked open the bottles, Emily returning with a few glasses. Pouring a fair amount into each glass, Sombra plonked the large bowl of chips onto the table. "Anywhere you'd like to sit mes ami?"

"Couch's good, thanks." Emily answered as she took up a seat on one end, Amelie on the other side of the couch while Sombra immediately clambered onto their father's recliner. Picking up the controller, Amelie began flipping through the menu on the DVD while Emily turned her head towards the hallways. "Pick up the pace lads!"

"Hold yer horses, we're comin'!" An irate Southern USA accent called out.

A few minutes later, the five were in comfy enough in their spots; Sombra was curled up on Gabriel's beat-up recliner with her Grim Reaper plushy while Genji and Jesse lounged on the floor atop pillaged pillows and blankets arranged on the floor while Amelie and Emily took up opposite ends of the couch.

"If y'all are ready, hit play." Jesse quipped as he lightly chewed on the lollipop between his teeth as if it was a cigar.

"Where didja find this anyways?" Emily asked as she scooped a handful of chips out.

"It's one of Papa's favorites." Amelie answered.

"Not that he'll admit it." Genji snickered as he took a sip from his glass, a thick duvet with a Pokeball stitched onto it wrapped around him.

All of them watched as the movie played its first scene; hundreds of men heaving an ancient man of war ship that flew the flag of France into dry dock when they all began to sing in one voice. "Look down, look down. Don't look them in the eye. Look down, look down. You're here until we die..."

 

* * *

 

Gabriel wasn't quite sure what to think tonight as he stepped into his home away from home, the familiar aroma of ales and stouts thick in the air while patrons were scattered around the pub at tables or at the bar. But as usual, the barstool on the corner of the bar was free, Gabriel feeling the welcoming texture of the wood through his pants. "How long was Mako out by?"

"About 7 minutes or so, just accompanying Angela as she meets up with some friends of hers." Moira answered as she took her usual seat next to Gabriel, the tall woman shedding her worn and frayed black trenchcoat to reveal the white dress pants and black blouse she wore underneath. "Would you like me to be the designated driver tonight?"

Shaking his head, Gabriel peeled his black Dakota jacket, the SWAT commander dressed in his customary black cargo pants and grey muscle shirt, but he had added a half-buttoned up work shirt. "After all the cadavers you've been working with this week, you deserve a few."

"Ah, two of my favorites." A familiar Russian voice commented, a tall woman whose muscles were just barely contained by the white dress shirt and black vest the other servers and bartenders wore. "I do hope neither of you are the designated driver tonight, business has been a bit slow."

Chuckling, Gabriel accepted the tumbler of Canadian Club Zarya poured for him. "Tonight's your lucky night Al, you'll have a full quartet."

Grinning, Zarya plucked the Glenfiddich from the shelf. "Perfect." Expertly pouring another tumbler for Moira, the Russian then produced a couple menus. "Will it be the usual or a surprise?"

"Old standby for starters at least." Moira answered as she accepted a menu. As Zarya made her way to the back of the bar, the redhead took a sip from her glass. "Work's been going well from what I've heard, how about at home?"

"The boys had to run an iron man course." Gabriel answered as he ran a hand through his rather long hair, his onyx locks tied back. "At this rate they'll either be less inclined to stupidity or tougher. Either one works."

Taking another sip, Moira glanced at her friend. "...how do you manage it?"

"Hmmm?" Gabriel hummed as he finished taking a swig from his glass. "What do ya mean?"

"Raising them." Moira's voice ever so slightly turned a sadder tone, Gabriel almost missing it. "Four for that matter as well."

Gabriel's murky brown eyes recognized the slight tremor in Moira's right hand, a black leather glove over it. "...Emily?"

The Irishwoman did not answer, only a slight nod of her head as a light clunk of plaster on wood cut through the tension, the aroma of meat tickling their sinuses. "Bacon-wrapped sausages as usual." Zarya announced. "Decided on a main course?"

"Not yet." Gabriel answered as he took one of the meat chunks off the plate and took a bite. Once it was clear of his mouth, he turned back to Moira. "Do you remember where I found Amelie?"

Moira's left hand clenched at that, particularly gruesome scenes crossing her mind from her tenure in France. "More then I'd like." She muttered as she took another sip.

"When I saw her, I was given a choice." Gabriel's voice remained flat and void of emotion. "Pretend I never saw the kid and hope things turned out okay for her, or put everything I had on the line for her."

Moira's mismatched eyes finally looked into Gabriel's. His face remained neutrally slack, but she could recognize the strong and steady look in his eyes. "I never regretted that. Now answer this Moira and you cannot think or comprehend this, answer with the first feeling you get; do you regret taking in Emily?"

Her mind was a screaming whirling mess of thoughts, but her heart answered instead. "No."

Nodding, Gabriel clinked his glass with hers. "Then you'll be good." With that his smile returned. Taking another bite of the appetizers, he noticed the lines on Moira's face becoming more defined as she ran a thin hand through her short fiery hair.

"It's not that I don't love her Gabe, it's that I don't know how to talk to her." Moira finished her glass. "I didn't protest when Nate named me her godmother, but after that night..."

Gabriel could see her the fingers on her right hand wrinkling the leather glove she wore as her digits twitched, the rest of Moira remaining cold and stiff.

"...I was always working, I barely saw her. Then one night my brother's gone and I'm looking after his daughter." The slight and easy to miss tremor in her voice made Gabriel's heart twinge. Her red and blue eyes looked into his earthen brown ones, Moira's gaze reading nothing but loss. "How can I make up for all that time?"

He wanted to reply, he really did. But the door opened for a quartet that brought both a feeling of immense ire and joy, Gabriel's mind becoming a whirlwind of emotions. On the one hand, Mako and Angela arrived, the former in his usual work clothes, the only difference the thick and frayed Carhartt jacket he wore. Angela was in a light grey turtleneck and black jeans, a beige scarf around her neck. The sight of those two lifted his heart.

On the other hand, an all-too familiar man with short blonde hair and impeccable posture was accompanying them and he was in a conversation with Angela. If it weren't for the flecks of silver in his hair and the thick but cropped beard, he would've looked the same as he did 7 years ago. The older woman next to him had her silver hair braided to better show the lines across her face and the Egyptian tattoo under her good eye, the other covered with a black eye patch. The sight of those two crushed his hopes.

The second Jack saw him, both of them immediately tensed at the sight. Gabriel's hands clenched and it took the last of his spent patience to avoid decking Jack right in the face that suddenly looked a lot like a punching bag for some reason. Jack on the other hand could feel Ana's vise-like grip on his elbow, as if he would try to leap right for Gabriel and attempt to hug his neck with his hands and maybe shake him.

"Gabriel!" Angela called out as she approached him and Moira, a warm smile on her face. "How wunderbar to see you!"

Gabriel's grin was forced more then he liked to admit, as if he was on the electric chair. "Nice to see you too Angie."

Angela's smile waned as she tilted his head. "Are you alright Gabriel?" Following his gaze, she realized it was settled on Jack. What's more, she could recognize the veiled murderous glint in his eyes, a similar look in the blonde man's eyes.

"Jackson Eisenhower Morrison..." Ana began, her voice as steely as her glare. "...you may not attack or threaten Gabriel under any circumstance."

The fact she uttered his full name threw Jack off, his eye dark gaze softening by a fraction. "Fine. But we're going to a different bar."

"Why don't you join us!" Angela called out to Ana and Jack, the latter doing his best to restrain his look of absolute horror. However, Ana was already pushing him towards the empty bar stools, Jack, Ana, Angela, and Mako all taking their seats with Jack sitting next to the only man he vowed swift and hopefully bloody vengeance upon.

"...Jackass." Gabriel growled, Mako jostling his shoulder with a warning grunt.

"...Edgelord." Jack retorted sharply, Ana cuffing the back of his head.

"Children, behave." Ana spoke with no room for negotiation from either of them.

Zarya returned to serve another pair of whiskey tumblers for Moira and Gabriel, a 32 ounce mug of Steinlager for Mako, a wineglass for Angela, bottle of Budweiser for Jack, and a steaming teacup for Ana. "Just give me the whole bottle." Moira murmured. "I'm going to need it."

 

* * *

 

"Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeon..." Lena's brows knit as she glared at the glowing TV, her little sister comfortably seated on her lap. The two held an ancient Game Cube controller each, Lena pushing the toggle as far forward as she could while Hana's thumbs kept jumping from one button to the next.

Fareeha and Lucio mirrored the other two, the younger Amari silent as she focused on the TV, Lucio quietly humming. Seconds later Fareeha and Lucio leapt to their feet with excited whoops and cheers while Lena and Hana simultaneously groaned irritably. "Bloody bollocks!"

"Jealous much?" Fareeha smirked as she lifted Lucio onto her shoulders, the boy raising his arms above his head as if he won the UFC championship.

"We would've had that if you didn't get that Golden Mushroom!" Hana snapped as her long hair was ruffled by her sister.

Chuckling, Fareeha made her way to the kitchen with Lucio to obtain a 2 litre bottle of Sprite. "Well that's big talk from the two who used the Chain Chomp!" Lucio shot back as he handed Fareeha glasses from the cupboard.

Hana pouted at that remark while Lena huffed indignantly. "Well it's best of five luvs and the score's tied!"

"Not for long." Fareeha quipped as she returned with a drink for everyone.

Taking a glance behind him, Lucio could see the corner of the photograph poking out of the box. Why was his dad so tense about it? He wasn't scared of anything, he had dived into burning buildings to get people out without so much as a second thought. But that photo...

"Lena?" Lucio piped up, his older sister turning her head to face him. "What did Dad and Uncle Gabe fight about?"

The Brit choked on her drink while Fareeha visibly locked up, the younger two looking from one to the other. The air turned a few degrees colder as Hana and Lucio worryingly looked at the older two. It was as if a fuse had been lit and everyone was waiting for the inevitable explosion.

"Your dad and Uncle Gabe saw things differently." Fareeha answered quietly. "They were good friends once..." Her voice trailed off, the younger two uncertainly watching her.

"But they...had an argument..." Lena choppily answered. "...about ice cream."

Noticing the way the younger two seemed more interested, Lena continued. "Y'see, Dad loved vanilla ice cream and Uncle Gabe loved those weird types, like tiger tail which has that icky black licorice innit."

Hana scrunched her nose in confusion. "Doesn't Dad hate vanilla?"

"Yeah, I thought he liked strawberry." Lucio added as he scratched his head.

Lena's face was quick to take the complexion of a tomato, the Brit not needing to look up to see Fareeha burying her face in her palms. At this point all she could manage was a stammering response. "Um, well, y'see--"

"Your father recieved a promotion that Uncle Gabe wanted." Fareeha interjected, Lena immediately ceasing her rambling as she shot her cousin a grateful look. "Uncle Gabe was jealous about it, so they argued until Gabe was sent to a different branch of the army."

"Oohhhhhhh." Went Lucio and Hana simultaneously. The older two recognized the looks of comprehension in the younger two, Lena quirking an eyebrow at the worried look Hana had. "Would they fight again if they met?"

A thousand hateful, venomous words in English and Spanish clawed at her mind for years, a nightmare Lena wished she could forget. She hadn't heard so much spite between two men who could've been brothers, the dark glare in her father's eyes becoming the stuff of her nightmares.

"...I think they would luv."

 

* * *

 

Moira could tell that she would need a rather large bottle of very strong liquor the second she saw Colonel Morrison and Captain Amari walk through the door. She and Ana had to physically restrain Gabriel and Jack on that fateful day, Moira's incredible reach and Ana's unbreakable grip keeping things from escalating. The fact that they were now in arm's reach of each other promised a rather strong headache for the lanky redhead and both of them delivered.

Admittedly, not in the way she thought they would.

"We'd so many -HIC- PUH-lanzz Gabe!" Jack drunkenly cried out. "We were gunna put Lena n' Amelie n th same -HIC- kiddy-gard'n class!"

"It would've been so adoorbable..A door? A-adoorable!" Gabriel was just as intoxicated as his supposed nemesis. "Then they wou've shared glazez with Pharah n' th' three would've been... Been..." His face screwed as he tried to think of a word, "Wazzat big school fer adul's again?"

"College?" Mako offered and the SWAT commander shook his head, "Nono, the other one.. COLLAGE! COE-llage roommates..."

Angela awkwardly sipped from her glass as she watched the two drunks crying and yelling their regrets. "...they have a lot of issues to resolve, don't they?"

"You have no idea." Ana replied as she stirred in a spoonful of honey into her cup.

"You'r m'fucking BRUH-THER!" Gabriel lopsidedly slung an arm over Jack's shoulders, both of them threatening to drop to the floor. "Why'd I say so... So mmany bad thingies?"

"M -HIC- s-sorry Gabe!" Jack cried as he gave Gabriel a hug.

"Me too!" Gabriel sniffled.

"I cannot decide of this is healthy or irritating." Moira muttered.

"Both." Mako grunted as he finished his large plate of lamb curry. He began reaching for everyone else's emptied plates, bowls, and cutlery, the mechanic stacking them in a neat pile.

"Glad someone has table manners." Zarya remarked as she started clearing the dirty dishes. "Taxi's going to be here soon."

There was a jingle of coins and rustling of bills as everyone but Jack and Gabriel rummaged through their wallets to produce enough money to cover their meals. Grinning at the money pile on the bar, Zarya began counting them into the register. "You all should come back soon, I am planning a flight back home."

"Hopefully it will be under less inebriated circumstances." Moira quipped as she glanced at Gabriel and Jack, the Irishwoman slipping her black trenchcoat back on.

"Need a lift?" Came Mako's rumbling voice as he pulled his heavy jacket back on, the giant's gaze settled on Angela and Ana.

"I am sober and Dr. Ziegler's residence is on my way home." Ana answered as she pulled her navy blue coat over her wool cardigan. "But it would be nice to get to know you better Mr. Rutledge."

Mako nodded with a grunt as he effortlessly grabbed Gabriel and unceremoniously threw him over his shoulder, much to the drunken chagrin of the man in question and Jack. "Nooooo, I still need t' set'p playdates w'th 'r kids!" Gabriel protested before belching.

"-HIC-H'na and Sssombr'd be bezt-ees! Like -HIC- us!" Jack added before he slipped off his stool and landed on the wooden floorboards with a resounding 'thunk'.

"...goodnight Ziegler, Amari." Moira gave the two ladies a quick nod before she, Mako, and Gabriel made their way out the door towards the waiting taxi.

Giving the trio a quick wave, Ana then turned her attention to her all but passed out friend. As she began to slip her hands under his shoulders, she looked up at Angela. "I'll get his shoulders, you get his feet."

"At least they didn't try to hit each other." Angela remarked as she grabbed Jack by his ankles, the two women carrying him out the door.

 

* * *

 

Quietly opening the front door, Moira's mismatched eyes scanned the hall. There was a soft glow from the TV in the living room, but that aside it was dark and unusually quiet in the Reyes household. "I believe all of them have retired for the night." The redhead whispered as she held the door open.

Despite his hulking frame, Mako's lumbering pace was quiet enough to not awaken anyone inside, a passed out Gabriel slung over his shoulder. "Get Emily." He softly spoke before making his way down the hall.

Softly padding towards the living room, Moira recognized the fiery red hair that poked out from the other side of the couch. Tiptoeing into the room, she recognized the Reyes boys that were sprawled across the floor with blankets and pillows haphazardly strewn about while Sombra was curled up in her father's chair, a Grim Reaper plushy tightly clutched to her chest. Rounding the couch, Moira's thin eyebrows went to her hairline at the sight.

Her goddaughter was stretched out across the couch, the younger redhead quietly snoring. Curled into the crook of her neck though was Amelie, Gabriel's eldest gently clinging to her while one of Emily's arms was wrapped around her.

Instinctively Moira looked for lipstick marks on her niece's face and to her relief she found none. While she had originally planned to take Emily home with Mako in the cab, Moira found that the sight a tad adorable. She recalled the night terrors Amelie was stricken with in her youth, the French girl's sleeping face almost always twisted in agony, but Moira saw none of that pain or fear.

"Moira?" Mako's quiet voice snapped her back to reality, the lanky redhead spotting Mako ready to go.

"You go ahead, me and Emily can stay the night here." Moira whispered.

Mako's face remained still and emotionless as he glanced at the redheaded teenager in question, but Moira could've sworn she saw an amused glint in his eye. "G'night then." He gave a small wave before making his way out the door.

Gazing down at her sleeping niece again, Moira gave a watery smile. It was nice to see her goddaughter so peaceful and relaxed, but the warm feeling was tempered with an old wound reopening. She dared to look at the faint tanline of a ring on her left ring finger, the redhead shaking her head out of the painful past and focused on making her way to the basement. She was sure that Gabriel wouldn't mind her borrowing his man cave's couch.

 

* * *

 

With all the space available on the collection of mattresses all over the floor, Lena was wondering why she kept getting pushed towards the edge. One look at her little sister reminded her why that happened and she settled for pushing Hana back a few feet. Even with the extra breathing room, Lena still couldn't fall asleep. She kept staring at the door, hoping her father would be home soon.

"Can't sleep too eh?" Fareeha remarked as she lied on the oversized bed, a sleeping Lucio using her stomach as a pillow.

"...just worried about Dad and Aunty Ana." Lena sighed. "I mean it's almost midnight and they're not home."

Fareeha absentmindedly carded through Lucio's dreadlocks before her ears pricked up. Gently pushing Lucio off of her, she then sat up. "Sounds like they're home."

Sure enough both teenagers could hear the familiar whirring of the hovercar's fusion reactor for a minute or so before it turned off in the driveway. Getting to their feet, Lena scrunched her nose in confusion at the sound of strained grunting and shuffling footsteps. Looking at Fareeha, the older girl simply shrugged as there was a jangling of keys and the clicking of locks.

"Get in here you--" Ana turned her head to see her daughter and goddaughter watching her hold up Jack by the shoulders. "He had a little too much to drink."

Lena brought her hands to her face as she looked borderline horrified. "Why didn't you get him to stop?!" She quietly shrieked.

"Because he was having a surprisingly heartwarming moment with Uncle Gabe." Ana retorted as she shuffled backwards, the two teenagers noticing who was holding up Jack's feet. Lena gave Angela a quick wave before resuming her restrained worry over her father while Fareeha stared at the doctor as if an angel descended from heaven.

With the bug light illuminated behind her, that became a rather accurate analogy.

"Wait, you met Uncle Gabe?!" Lena had to keep her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from waking up her siblings.

"That'd be my fault." Angela grunted as she and Ana guided Jack to the oversized mattress on the floor, Fareeha's gaze glued to the her. "I've been friends with Gabriel for awhile, thought it'd be nice to introduce him to Ana and Jack."

"It's the thought that counts." Ana remarked as she and Angela lowered Jack into bed.

"Wait, how do you know Uncle Gabe?" Lena turned her attention to Angela. "I mean I know you were mates with Dad and Aunty back in the Crisis but that was after Uncle Gabe split!"

"I met him not long after I started working ER." Angela answered with a fond smile. "He took a knife through the hand and he refused to see any doctor other then me."

"Sounds like Gabe." Ana huffed as she rested her palms on her knees. "I'm getting too old for this..."

"Now Lena, I know you probably have a lot of questions." Angela made sure she cut off the young Brit before she broke into another one of her long tirades, the Swiss all too familiar with a young Lena chatting her ear off. "But we are all tired, just leave them for tomorrow."

It took visible effort for Lena to keep her mouth shut, the girl taking several deep breaths. Each one relaxed her until she took her hands off her mouth. "Right, I gottit." She turned her head to look at Fareeha. "Whatta ya say we get some shut--um, you okay 'Reeha?"

Fareeha looked hypnotized as she stared at Angela, the Brit's jab to her shoulder snapping her out of her trance. "Wuh-wuzzit?" The young Egyptian stammered, feeling a sharp increase of heat in her cheeks.

"You were undressing Dr. Ziegler with your eyes habiti." Ana smirked.

"Uh, n-n-no I wasn't!" Fareeha retorted, but her rapidly reddening face and the thin sweat drops running down her face betrayed her.

Lena snorted as she did her best to refrain from laughing, the fact it was 11:58 at night keeping her building up guffaws from bursting out. Angela however felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she buried her face in her palms as recollections of an eight year-old Pharah proposing to her came rushing back. "I thought it was a phase..."

Scratching the back of her head, Fareeha awkwardly gestured behind her. "IjustrememberedIhavesomethingtodoovertherenicetoseeyouAngelaBYE!" And with that she gave Lena a run for her money in the act of fleeing. The Brit however had watery eyes as she tried to keep herself from laughing.

Sighing, Ana tossed a thick and fluffy pillow to Lena. "Get it out before you have a heart attack."

Burying her face in the pillow, Lena's muffled laughter echoed through the room as she doubled over. The relative quiet preserved, Ana turned to look at Angela. "Thanks for getting Jack home, are you sure you don't need a ride home?"

Angela shook her head. "Nein, my housemates are still up and my niece said she can pick me up."

 

* * *

 

'Ordered chaos' is how Mako described his and Jamie's building. Everything was a barely contained mess but he and Jamie could always find exactly what they were looking for. Everything from the many toolboxes in the shop to the drawers in the kitchen and the fridge. Opening the fridge, Mako easily found the cheesecake box, the kid leaving an equal slice for his caretaker.

Setting the box on the counter, Mako looked again at the fridge with a raised eyebrow. That large tupperware container wasn't there before, he was certain of it. Pushing the plastic-wrapped slabs of raw chicken thighs off of it, Mako pulled the container clear and eyed it suspisciously. A note had been taped to it, the Maori man recognizing the messy handwriting that read 'DO NOT OPEN, SPESHALLY YOU MAKO'.

His lips twitched upwards. Drumming his thick fingers along the lid, he contemplated opening it before deciding against it. Putting it back in the fridge, he settled for the cake box and opened it. Producing a fork from a rather messy drawer, Mako took a bite of cheesecake before giving an approving hum.

Finishing it in a few bites, the mechanic idly tossed the emptied box in the garbage bin before making his way to the main room. A hammock was strung across it, a few messy blankets poking out from it while Jamie was sprawled out on the floor, his peg leg and prosthetic arm hanging from the hammock's anchor points.

Shaking his head, Mako gingerly slid his meaty hands underneath the sleeping boy and lifted him back into the hammock. Once he was back in, Mako began to pull the ratty blankets back over his lanky and snoring frame.

Jamie was covered in grime and soot, the adolescent shirking the shower he was ordered to take tonight. Sighing, Mako ruffled his son's messy blonde hair before taking a seat on his duct-taped and worn recliner. Reaching for the lever, Mako released a deep exhale as he reclined in his seat.

By the time he closed his eyes, he was out like a light.

 

* * *

 

"So how goes the Middle Earth Marathon?" Angela asked as she pulled the black hairtie out of her blonde hair.

"We finished the Hobbit trilogy, we're starting the Lord of the Rings tomorrow." Brigitte answered, the Swedish girl at the wheel. "So why couldn't you stay for tonight? Uncle made those beef roulades and you love those."

"Sorry, I was busy catching up with the Amaris and Morrisons." Angela replied as she shook her hair out.

"Ohhhh, explains why Uncle was swooning after he got your text." Brigitte giggled. "He was reciting all sorts of poetry, all I got was 'like a rose blooming in midnight' something about 'my heart beats louder then the drums of war'." She even went as far as impersonating Reinhardt's booming voice, much to the doctor's amusement.

"The gigantic gentleman returns." Angela softly laughed as she recalled a younger Reinhardt dauntlessly defending a flower shop from wave after wave of Omnics for the simple fact that it was Valentine's day and this was the last place to get roses from. "I think Aunty Ana might be coming over."

Brigitte's grin grew wider. "That'd be nice. Papa was always telling him to find a lady to settle down with for decades now."

Pulling up the driveway, Brigitte turned the car off and the two hopped out. They hadn't even got halfway up the steps to the front door when it swung open, Reinhardt's huge frame emerging. "Brigitte and Angela!" He practically roared as he strode down to meet them, his immense arms embracing them easily. "Tis good tidings to see you both again!"

"I was only gone for 3 hours freund." Angela laughed. Time and time again she was reminded that Reinhardt's strength was matched only by his heart.

"And I was out for 15 minutes."

"But it was such a long 15 minutes, and an even longer 3 hours!" The German boomed dramatically and Bridgette snorted, "Yeah, that's kind of how time works?"

"Ahh, forgive me!" Reinhardt had put the two back down on the ground as he continued. "I find myself with an abundence of energy in light of recent news! It feels as if I have bathed in the fountain of youth and I yearn to gaze upon such a vision of beauty once more!"

Torbjiorn was in the doorway, the dwarf irritably rubbing his temples. "He's been like this for awhile?" Angela asked as she entered the house while the giant of a man carried on with his poetic tirade.

"About 3 hours too long." Torbjiorn grumbled. "Still, nice to hear that the Morrisons and Amaris are in town."

"...and to think I would live long enough to see such changes with my own eyes! Truly this is a sign from above!" Reinhardt had yet to take a breath while Brigitte pushed him back inside. "For not only are dying embers reignited into a billowing inferno of passion once again, there are new faces within their families to become acquainted with! I will strive to guide them onto paths of greatness that will exceed my own so long as there is breath within m--"

"OKAY Uncle, great to hear." Brigitte interjected, the boisterous man finally becoming quiet. "Now you need to get some sleep, we have a big day ahead of us tomor--"

"Ha, I do not need sleep when I am feeling so alive!" Reinhardt boomed, the Lindholms feeling their frustration grow. It was almost 1 in the morning and the loudest man in the world wasn't feeling tired. "For the night is always young when hope and joy has been kindled in your heart!"

"You two can handle him, I need sleep." Angela dryly remarked, Brigitte and Torbjiorn shooting her looks of panicked desperation. "Goodnight all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this is not a Reaper76 or Pharamercy piece. They're just overdramatic when they're drunk off their asses and Fareeha is just lovestruck every time she sees Angela
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Gabriel secretly loves musicals. He is unaware that his children have found his secret stash of musical films  
> -Mako is the 3rd of 7 kids  
> -Jack cannot restrain Lena if she's on a sugar rush despite being able to bench press his weight  
> -Moira's liver can filter alcohol so fast that she cannot get drunk. However, this does mean she needs to 'answer nature's call' more frequently  
> -Angela is allergic to peanuts


	4. Drawing Of The Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lives begin to intersect and weave together regardless if they mean to or not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My little sister volunteered to give me a hand with this piece. A cookie if you can tell which parts are written by who

Normally an unfamiliar weight pressing down on the entire length of one's body invited a sense of panic or caution when waking up in the morning. For the Scottish redhead though, it was rather welcoming. Cracking her eyes open, Emily tiredly smiled she ran a hand through Amelie's hair, the French teenager nuzzling her. Her vision began to clear as she became more awake, Emily's brow furrowing when she saw the black trenchcoat that was draped over them both like a blanket.

Recognizing the small tear in the left shoulder, Emily felt her heart skip a beat in a rather bad way. She could hear the sizzling and pops of meat in a frying pan, the air thick with the scent of sausages and herbs. Hesitantly poking her head out from behind the couch, Emily immediately ducked back down when she saw a familiar tall lanky redheaded woman in the kitchen.

Amelie had began to stir, her golden eyes cracking open. "Bonjour..."

Forcing a grin, Emily nervously chuckled. While she was only halfway between concious and asleep, Amelie still gave the redhead a confused look. "What's the matter?"

"Aunty Moira is here." Emily shakily whispered, Amelie's golden eyes flying open as her fatigue immediately vanished.

"Merde, how long as she been here?!" Amelie kept her voice low as she frantically looked around for the tall Irishwoman in question.

"I don't know!" Emily quietly shrieked. Both of them immediately went silent as they heard approaching footsteps from the kitchen, Emily shoving Amelie's face into her chest while the redhead closed her eyes and feigned sleep.

Crouching down next to the couch, Moira gently nudged her niece. "Time to get up Emily."

Cracking her eyes open, Emily yawned. "Morning Aunty."

"Breakfast for everyone is ready. We'll be heading home afterwards." Moira continued flatly before rising to her full height, the Irishwoman dressed in her wrinkled and ruffled clothes from last night.

Once her aunty was out of sight, Emily released her grip on Amelie, the French teen looking up. "Sorry! I freaked out and I wasn't sure how to--"

"Non, it's...it's okay." Amelie could feel the slight rise of heat in her cheeks. She didn't expect having her face being pressed into Emily's chest, but she didn't really mind the feeling. Rubbing her neck, Amelie slowly sat up and tried to hide her reddening face, "Did you um, sleep well?"

"Yeah! Yeah, it was... Really nice, actually..." The redhead trailed off as she recalled the cozy warmth Amelie had been radiating as she slept and the two teens unexpectedly locked eyes. No words were said, but all the same some kind of comminucation passed between the two and Emily opened her mouth hesitantly, "So, uh... Do you-"

"AMMY~!" A young voice suddenly shrieked and both Amelie and Emily jumped. They turned to see the 5-year old Latina decked out in her purple, skull-decorated pajama's suddenly jolt up from her seat and abruptly jump on them. "Good morning~!"

"Sombra!" Amelie scolded as her sister collided into her and Emily and flicked the younger's forehead, "Do not go jumping like that on our guests! Apologize to Emily!"

Emily was quick to hold up her hands. "No no, it's ok! She weighs hardly any-"

"But you were squishing her all night, Ame." Sombra interrupted cheerfully and both teenagers reddened considerably. "Aren't you gonna apl-apo- say sorry?"

Amelie and Emily spluttered for a moment before the French teen finally managed, "That-Is hardly the same thing! And it is irrelevant!"

"Whass 'relevant now?" Jessie's slurred voiced asked and the trio looked down to see him lift his face from his pillow blearliy, hair smushed to one side of his head as he blinked away the remaining sleep.

"There seems to be quite a commotion." Genji observed as he sat up with a stretch and Sombra grinned, "Ame's too embarrased to admit she likes Emily."

"WHAT!?"

Amelie and Emily looked like gobsmacked tomatoes and Jessie smirked. "Yeah? Now I thought I'd spotted a little chemistry las' night..."

"Wha-N-How-" Came the expected stammers and both Jessie and Sombra laughed.

"Ahh, young love." Genji teased and Amelie somehow got her hands on a pillow and pegged her bother in the head. "It is not like that!"

Jessie smiled coyly, "Then how come yer's still straddlin' Em like that?"

The older finally seemed to remember her position on her redheaded friend -which seriously did not help her argument- and with a flustered gesutre of flustered-ness she scrambled off. "I just-- fell asleep--"

"Yeah!" Emily piped up and Jessie gave them a look, "Uh-huh."

"Amelie and Emily, lying on the couch~!" Genji started and Sombra quickly joined in, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!!"

"You little--"

"Something smells good." Jessie interrupted -abruptly switching topics- and Sombra suddenly threw her hands up in the air. "FOOOOOOOD~!"

She bolted off Emily's chest and zipped into the kitchen, completely oblivious to the fact her sister was rapidly on her way to giving herself a stoke.

"Wait--"

"Is that Aunty's cooking?"

"It does indeed smell delicous."

Her two brothers stood up to make their way to the kitchen and Amelie had enough.

"Wait here." She growled to Emily and the redhead felt a prickle of unease. "Ok...."

Arming herself with a pillow in each hand, Amelie leapt to her feet and ran into the kitchen. "Hold still while I murder you, you little jerks!" She shouted and Emily peeked over the back of the couch to see Amelie chasing a panicking Jesse and Genji around the kitchen while Sombra laughed and her Aunt Moria looked supremely uncomfortable in the middle of it.

Serving up hearty portions of bangers and mash for everyone and herself, Moira laid the plates of food out on the counter, Sombra eagerly taking one of them with a 'Thank you Aunty' while Emily scratched the back of her head. "You uh...heard all of...that, huh?"

Awkwardly clearing her throat, Moira ran a hand through her hair. "Erm...yes."

The back door was open, French cursing accompanying panicked yelps in a Southern accent and in Japanese from the backyard. Getting to her feet, Emily nervously chuckled. "I mean I do like Ame and all...but not like that, y'know?"

Moira gave a similar hesitant laugh. "Of course."

Both redheads stood in awkward silence before Moira handed Emily a plate and a fork. "Well, best eat up. We'll be heading home after breakfast."

Putting on a hopefully genuine-looking smile, Emily accepted them. "R-right."

 

* * *

 

"Are you okay Dad?" Hana worryingly watched her rather miserable-looking father who was leaning over the table with all the liveliness of a zombie.

"Right as rain kiddo." Jack wheezed, the ex-soldier burying his face into the table.

"You shouldn't lie to your children Jack." Ana chided as she placed a steaming mug of tea next to her friend.

Shakily sitting upright, Jack's bloodshot eyes opened a crack as he took a sip from the mug. Giving a pleased hum, he took another. "Thanks Ana." He had to hold the mug with both hands, the shaking subsiding. "I mean I asked for coffee and all..."

"Tea is healthier for you." Ana retorted. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Fareeha and the Morrison kids huddled in the living room discussing something in hushed tones. Sliding out of the kitchen, she approached the huddle and leaned in. "So what are you all planning?"

"We can't decide if we should make pancakes or get waffles." Lucio whispered conspiratorally.

"Lena's pancakes are the best!" Hana huffed as she placed her hands on her hips in a rather adorable manner.

Running a hand through her messy brown hair, Lena sighed. "Only reason I haven't got started is that we lack a few of the ingredients."

"So I say we write an awesome song for lotsa money and buy them then!" Lucio piped up as his chest puffed up. "Bands are gazillionaires!"

"No, we should find bad guys and turn them in to the law!" Fareeha cracked her knuckles with a sly grin. "We'd be doing the world a favor and making money for it."

"Those are stinky ideas!" Hana quipped. "We should enter a gaming tournament and win it!"

"I'm leaning towards 'Reeha's bounty huntin' idea luvs." Lena remarked.

"Or you could just say, 'Oh kind and wonderful Aunty Ana, could you please bless us with pancake ingredients'?" Ana dryly offered. Smirking as all four of them awkwardly looked at her, the ex-soldier snickered. "Just a thought."

"...could you please lend us some money oh great and wonderful Mother?" Fareeha mentally kicked herself for joining the grand larceny bandwagon instead of thinking of the simplest solution.

Ana nodded as she retrieved her navy blue trenchcoat from its hook. "Of course. Lena will be coming with me, could the rest of you please resume unpacking?"

"Why me?" Lena asked as she zipped up her dark blue hoodie, the Brit reaching for her bright orange runners.

"You know what you need to buy, Fareeha can easily handle the heavy lifting here, and you are by far the quickest shopper in this family." Ana listed as she pulled her black shoes on.

"...good points." Lena replied as she finished getting her shoes on, the Brit following her godmother out into the brisk late morning. Minutes later Lena was sprinting through the aisles of the supermarket with an empty basket in hand while Ana perused the butcher's department for supper fixings.

"Where are the bloody baking goods when I need them?" Lena muttered as she slid down the aisle towards the flour sacks lining the shelves. Too late though she spotted the WET FLOOR sign and her eyes widened as she barreled towards someone else, the brunette crashing into them and falling onto the floor in a heap.

"Are you okay?!"

Lena blinked a few times before the world came back into focus. When it did she saw someone who was easily the most beautiful girl in the world worryingly checking her over. She had a beautiful voice and flaming red hair while her sweater was alternating blue and green stripes. There was a sharp increase in heat in her cheeks, Lena staring at the redhead for seeming hours before she realized that the angel before her was talking.

"Are you alright?! You took a bit of a nasty fall!" Lena decided right then and there that Scottish was the most beautiful accent in all of humanity.

"You are really beautiful." The brunette blurted.

Blinking, the redhead froze in her worried tirade. "...eh?"

It took about twelve seconds for it to sink in for the British girl. Immediately she became flustered as she scrambled to her feet. "Oh bloody hell I am so sorry I wasn't looking--"

The redhead held her hands up. "No, no, it's okay! You actually got more hurt then me."

That statement made Lena's train of thought hit the brakes. It started to reverse down the track towards memory lane when she realized that yes, she ran into the redhead. However, the young Scotswoman had not stumbled to the floor like her. Come to think of it, Lena did not recall the girl so much as off-balance. "...wait, what? I ran into you!"

The redhead nervously scratched the back of her head. "You did, but uh..."

Eyeing the Scottish girl, Lena could tell that they roughly had the same proportions. The redhead was maybe two inches taller then her, but aside from that they were quite similar in most physical traits. Lena's gaze focused on the redhead's chest for a moment before she managed to look up. "How solid are you?!"

Awkwardly chuckling, the redhead wrung her hands. "I'm the tight-head prop in me school's rugby team."

"That explains a lot." Lena nervously giggled as she stared into those beautiful green eyes. Everything else seemed to melt away into nothingness, the Brit unable to look away from those emerald pools. She heard a muffled noise in the edges of her mind, but she pushed it aside in favor of looking into the redhead's shimmering eyes. It was like they were twin stars that shone only for--

"LENA."

The sound of her godmother's voice finally snapped Lena out of her stupor, the brunette turning her head so quickly towards her aunty that she was certain she gave herself whiplash. Ana had folded her arms over chest with a particularly teasing smirk, Lena feeling the heat in her cheeks rise. "Do you require a map?"

Lena's face scrunched up in confusion. "...what?"

"You were lost in your new friend's eyes."

Lena immediately forgot how to speak coherently while Ana chuckled. "Forgive my niece, she is rather bashful around new faces." The Egyptian greeted the blushing redhead.

"O-oh it's no trouble." The young Scotswoman awkwardly replied. "I thought it w-was rather cute...IMEAN it's alright!"

Draping an arm around her still babbling niece, Ana's grin had hints of mischief. "This is Lena Morrison, my brother's daughter. I am Ana Amari, Miss...?"

While her cheeks were still flushed, the redhead managed to speak in a steady voice. "Emily O'Deorain."

Both teenagers could've sworn they saw something flicker across Ana's face, a sharp change in her demeanour that disappeared as quickly as it happened. "How marvelous to meet you Miss O'Deorain."

 

* * *

 

"So uh..." Jamie ran his greasy metal fingers through his ashen blonde hair, the tips to his hairdo alight with soft orange embers. "...izzit any good?"

Swallowing the chewed up meat, Mako eyed the open tupperware container with his customary stony gaze. Outwardly he seemed no different then usual, but his mind was still reeling with the dish that was before him. He hadn't tasted the stunning blend of fish, coconut cream, and raw tomatoes in so long...

The slightest of changes to his face would've been missed by everyone else, but the young Australian in front of him could recognize the look Mako had as one of pride in the youth. "Damn right it is." Came the rumbling quartet of words that made Jamie's eyes light up like a man who had won the lottery.

"Ya mean it?!" Jamie had tensed up, as if he was trying to refrain from breaking into a victory dance.

"Only one change..." Mako picked up a cubed slice of raw fish and eyed it intensely. "Don't use salmon. Tuna works better."

"But that aside..." Jamie looked as if he was in an invisible straitjacket.

Sighing, Mako nodded. Jamie practically expoded as he broke into a mad jerking of his head and flailing of limbs that he called 'dancing' with his crazed cackling. Chuckling, Mako granted his taste buds another taste of his most beloved dish. Leaving half of the food for Jamie, Mako glanced at the clock. "Got business to tend to downstairs. Clean up when you're done."

Unsurprisingly Jamie seemed to pay him no heed as Mako stomped down the staircase to the garage. Once his head was clear of the floor to the loft and the garage's ceiling, he saw a teenage girl making her way in. Her long auburn hair was done up in a neat ponytail while she sported rust-colored duck logger pants tucked into scuffed engineer boots. Her sleeveless shirt was oil-stained and showed off her muscular arms, a bright red toolbox tucked under her arm.

"Are you Mr. Rutledge?" She called out in an accent from Europe. North-eastern part of the continent if had to guess.

Nodding, Mako reached the bottom of the stairs and eyed her with a neutral but piercing stare. "You here for the job?"

Nodding, the girl lowered her toolbox onto the floor. "I'm Brigitte Lindholm." He recognized the shifty look in her eyes, as if she was trying not to look at him. He couldn't blame her, the fact part of his lips were cut off along with his right nostril unsettled most people. "I have my resume here..."

The second she started rummaging through her pockets, Mako pointed to a pickup truck with it's hood open to reveal the exposed Fusion Reactor. "Fix it."

Brigitte's eyebrows went to her hairline. "...sorry?"

Motioning to the half-assembled reactor, Mako repeated himself. "Fix it."

Looking from him to the truck a few times, Brigitte shrugged. "Alright." Plucking her toolbox off the floor, she carried over to the truck and opened it up to reveal her shiny collection of socket wrenches, bolts, screwdrivers, pliers, sidecutters, wire strippers, and engine lubricants.

Seating himself on a stack of tires behind a desk, Mako produced a weathered notebook and began crunching numbers. Lists of parts and materials were written down next to lists of vehicles and customer names, the mechanic humming to himself as he ran hundreds of calculations in his head. Who knows how long passed before he finished balancing the books, Mako closing his notebook in time to see Brigitte working on the underside of the truck.

Frowning, the Maori man got his feet and approached her. He didn't even have to open his mouth before she spoke. "Noticed the auxillery leads had been damaged so I replaced them. The repulsor fuses were shot as well, took care of them while I was cleaning the alternator." A ratcheting sound accompanied her voice, Brigitte rolling out from underneath the truck. "Should be in working order now, may I please?" She motioned to the keys that were in the igntion.

Nodding, Mako watched the truck come back to life as it hovered ever so slightly above the jacks that held it up before. It's reactor quietly hummed, Brigitte admiring her work for a moment before the older mechanic spoke again. "You start on Tuesday."

Whipping her head around, Brigitte had a look of pleasant surprise. "Really?!"

Mako shook his head. "Nope." Immediately Brigitte's shoulders sagged before he spoke again. "It's Monday."

 

* * *

 

Two days after the night out in James Joyce and Angela still had no clue how she felt about it. It distracted her more then she liked to admit, the doctor opting for handling the backlogged paperwork. An unfocused doctor was a hazard to their patients and she refused to let someone suffer for her inability to keep her head in the game. Sipping from her mug, the jolt of caffeine and full-bodied taste of coffee revitalized her a bit, the doctor humming to herself as she finished the latest medical report.

Her watch began to beep, Angela's icy eyes alight. Returning the loose pages to their folders, Angela placed them on the filing cabinet before opening her bag to retrieve her lunch. Producing a fork, Angela started chewing her way through cabbage rolls as she allowed her mind to drift.

Gabriel never talked much about his service in the Omnic Crisis, his gaze darkening whenever it was brought up. What little she could learn was that Gabriel fought in mostly in Europe where he met Moira and adopted Amelie during a tour in France. She had been in Canada then, the doctor meeting Jack Morrison and Ana Amari there before their global peacekeeping missions to stabilize the world in the aftermath of the Crisis.

It made sense that neither Gabriel or Jack wanted to discuss their broken friendship, but Angela was still trying to figure out how fate decided to make the two face each other again after 7 years.

"Fate is a cruel mistress..." Angela murmured before taking another bite. The dark and vicious glare in Gabriel's eyes haunted her mind's eye. She had seen him angry when Genji and McCree broke each other's arms when they played 'Ultimate Ninja Frisbee', Gabriel lost his voice for a day by the time he finished his tirade about safety and common sense.

But the second Jack appeared, he looked far worse then that. Gabriel was livid, but he managed to keep it together. Angela's brow furrowed as she recalled how Gabriel denied admitting that he missed Jack and vice versa, the two men claiming that they still had a mutual blood feud. "Testosterone..." Angela muttered ruefully.

Angela knew that drunks never lied. The two really did miss each other, but neither would admit to it while sober. But the thought of the two reconciling, it brought a slight smile to Angela's lips. Her thoughts began to calm down again, her mind feeling much lighter then before.

There was a knock on her door, Angela looking up from her lunch to see a doctor she recognized as Kelly at the door. "Hate to bother you Dr. Ziegler, but we've got a gunshot wound to the head. Bullet grazed the side of the cranium, but we're unsure how to treat the injury."

Hastily packing her meal away, Angela quickly followed Kelly towards the operating theater. Perhaps there'd be hope for the two former friends, but right now she had work to do. With a clear and sharp mind, Dr. Ziegler prepared herself for her grisly work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....so remember that one girl Emily has a crush on that she's afraid to tell her aunty about? You can take that bet and double it
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Angela cannot cook to save her life  
> -Because of how easy it is to lose small metal objects in sand, Jamie learnt how to jury-rig an electromagnet in his robotic arm  
> -Jack is near-sighted  
> -Gabriel allows Jesse to wear spurs as a way to find him  
> -Moira is a hard liquor snob with her tastes centered on single-malt scotches and Irish whiskies


	5. Shattered Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When all that you knew was torn away, where will you go to feel safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO chapters in one day? Read 'em and weep!

"Well, this is cheerful." Jack muttered as he approached the line of POLICE: DO NOT CROSS tape that surrounded a building with shattered glass and bodied all around it. It looked far too much like the warzones he treaded through in years gone by.

Ana took a sip from her thermos. "We should count ourselves lucky it's nothing like what we've seen."

The two sported simple three-piece suits; Jack's had a dark grey blazer with black pants while Ana opted for a navy blue blazer with ebon slacks, their scuffed and worn combat boots crunching in the rubble. From the police officers and coroners tending to the scene, one of them approached the two. He was an Omnic with glowing scarlet eyes, his black suit highlighted with crimson pinstripes. "Ana Amari and Jack Morrison I presume?"

"That's us sir." Jack replied.

The Omnic held out his hand, Jack returning the gesture. "Captain Max of the 9th Precinct, pleasure to have you two on board. Wish we could've met in more formal circumstances, but uh..." He glanced at the gruesome scene behind him before continuing. "Duty called."

"We understand." Ana ducked underneath the tape as Max held it up for the two, the Omnic leading them towards a coroner that was kneeling over a corpse. "What happened here?"

"Shoot out between two of the local gangs and us. Took down one of our officers and wounded another." Max answered as he motioned to one of the bodies, the corpse dressed in a Western attire. "A few of them were part of the Deadlocks, last of them were killed here. Biggest reason why we're worried is that they had a van of contraband parked nearby that's unaccounted for."

"Guns?" Jack questioned as he surveyed the damage.

"Could be. Deadlocks dealt primarily in guns before, but lately they've been working drugs too." Max knelt to a coroner with an eerily familiar haircut; short orange hair that was slicked back. "Any sign on what they were transporting O'Deorain?"

"None so far." Moira replied as she consulted her PDA. "Gunpowder residue is evident, but that's to be expected in light of recent events." Looking up, one of her thin eyebrows went up by a fraction. "So this is the new job you two took hmm?"

"You know each other?" Max rose to his feet.

"We briefly served alongside Dr. O'Deorain during the Crisis sir." Jack answered flatly.

"I see." Straightening out his lapels, Max turned his head to Moira. "Commissioner just messaged me, wants a full report on this. Could you please bring them up to speed?"

"Of course Captain." Moira answered. While Max made his way out of the crime scene, Moira led the two into the building. "From what we know for certain, the Deadlocks were transporting boxes out from here to a van outside. Members from Los Muertos attempted to intercept them, local officers responded along with a SWAT team."

"Isn't Los Muertos based in Mexico?" Jack questioned as he stepped through the shattered concrete, taking care to avoid the rebar. "What're they doing this far up north?"

"Trying to take a more personal hand in their drug trade would be my hypothesis." Moira answered flatly. "Concerning casualties, 8 criminals are dead, two officers are wounded, one officer is dead, and three civilians are wounded but alive."

"Are the witnesses still here?" Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes." Moira motioned towards the ambulances that were parked with people in varying stages of treatment on board them.

"What caused all the damage?" Ana's eye scanned the scenes of carnage around them. This did not look like an ordinary turf dispute, this was near all out war.

"Faulty storage of explosive substances." Moira motioned to a scorched part of the floor. "No one knew there were several old propane tanks stored here and one stray bullet set them off."

"Shame, would've been great for grilling." Jack quipped.

"I'll ask the witnesses if they saw what the Deadlocks were transporting or where the van went." Ana made her way towards the ambulances while Jack carefully examined the scene of the shootout. Nearly half an hour later, Ana felt her cellphone trill in her pocket after collecting statements.

Flicking her phone open, Ana's brow furrowed when she saw a group text sent to herself, Jack, Moira, and Mako that read; 'GET TO THE HOSPITAL NOW'.

A second text arrived and Ana's breath caught in her throat the second she read it.

 

* * *

 

Amelie had found today to be rather enjoyable, the French teen's slight smile occuring far more in one day then she thought possible, especially while she was in school. Emily had introduced her to someone she ran into at the supermarket and turned out to be none other then Lena. After prying the Brit's arms off of her and getting back up, Amelie explained how they met at an army base in the care of their respective foster fathers.

"Papa and I had to evacuate the Paris base before Omnics overran it." Amelie recounted, the trio sitting in the shade of a tree outside while other students milled about for their lunch break. "We were sent to the London base where I met Lena."

Lena nervously scratched the back of her head. "It was a bit difficult at first, Amelie only spoke French. But I did help her learn some of the basics of English..." A mischevious smirk spread across the Brit's face. "In fact, there was one time..."

"Mon dieu, not this." Amelie buried her face in her hands.

"Go on..." Emily goaded with a nefarious glint in her eyes.

Muffling her giggles, Lena began. "So Amelie was trying to learn how to say 'bubble gum' because she had a huge addiction to the stuff when I first introduced it to her -she'd chew like, 3 packs a day!"

Emily's eyes crinkled, "Really?" She asked as she looked at the French teen, and Amelie tried to hide her pinkened face.

"Really!" Lena confirmed before continuing, "Anyway, she was trying to figure out how to say it so she wasn't stuck pointing at the stuff in frustrated silence whenever she wanted it, and I -being my naturally amazing self-" Amelie snorted "-gave her a hand."

Emily looked like she was already trying to hold back giggles. "So what did you 'teach' her?"

"I told her the proper English pronunciation was 'bubble-butt,'" Lena whispered conspiratorially, "And you should've seen the look on Uncle Gabe's face the next time she'd asked for some gum.

The duo burst into laughter while an embarrassed Amelie tried to gain some semblance of control over the situation. "I was ten- and I had never spoken English before! You took advantage of my weakness!"

"Oh come on!" Lena managed as she wiped away a few tears of mirth, "The word you taught me in French was so much worse!"

"What did you teach her?"

It was Amelie's turn to smirk and a look of dawning realization came on Lena's face. "Hey, you promised you wouldn't say!"

"When I found I had been tricked," Amelie started -completely ignoring the burnette's protest- "I had decided that it would be suitable to have my revenge in a similar fashion."

"Ammy!"

"Hush, child. The grown-ups are talking." Emily interrupted as she put a hand over Lena's mouth and the French teen continued, "She was very fond of baguettes, as I recall correctly. At one point, she had been curious to know what was in them that, -how do you say, 'made them so bleepin' good!' I had told her they were full of lots of natural preservatives."

Lena's face darkened considerably beneath Emily's hand and the redhead noted it with growing interest. "Sorry, my French is pretty bad. What does preservatives mean?"

Amelie's smile almost looked evil, "Condo--"

Lena suddenly broke free of the hand on her mouth and slapped her own over Amelie's face in a fit of flurry panic. "DON'TSAYIT!"

Too late. Emily had a pretty good idea of what was going to be said and laughed so hard she almost died. Amelie was smiling too as she swatted away Lena's hand, and like Emily the Brit also died.

Of embarrassment.

When her sides were splitting from mirth and she was gasping for breath, Emily finally managed to squeak out, "W...What happened next?"

"Not much. She learned the word remarkably fast, and one day when her and Uncle Jack had gotten some more baguettes she decided to regale him with some newfound information she had about the bread."

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE KNEW FRENCH?" Lena wailed from her puddle of shame on the floor and her companions ended up in another fit of hysterics.

By the time she calmed from her laughing fit, it dawned on Emily that she had not seen Amelie laugh so hard before. The French girl had managed a quiet chuckle, but never the boisterous guffaws she had just witnessed. Looking at the flustered Brit though, Emily agreed that inviting Lena to their little clique was the best idea ever. "Methinks we should change the topic before poor Lena suffers a heart attack." The redhead giggled as she ruffled the brunette's spiky hair.

"Change to anything, please." Lena groaned.

"Well you did seem to connect to Mr. Winston quite well." Amelie commented, the autumn breeze playing with her long ponytail.

Lena immediately perked up at that, the Brit sitting up. "He's a gorilla scientist from the moon! How AWESOME IS THAT?!"

"Very." Emily admitted.

"He's cultured too!" Lena quivered with excitement. "I called that one tosser, Dean, a total smeghead and he got it! He's even trying to build a Skutter too to help him around the house!" When Ameile and Emily gave her blank looks, Lena crossed her arms. "It's decided, I need to educate you two in Sci-Fi television this weekend."

"Sounds dreadful." Emily sarcastically remarked. Turning her head towards Amelie, the redhead's face fell when she saw the stricken gaze the French girl gave her cellphone. A cold fist clenched around her gut, the young Scotswoman noticing Lena looking worried as well. "What happened?"

"...I have to go." Amelie got to her feet, her face slack as her emotions were drained. "I need to find my brothers, now." The slightest hints of panic seeped into her voice.

"I'll be back in a jiff luv." Lena hurriedly bolted across the field towards a rather tall teenage girl with sun-kissed skin play-fighting with a younger teen with a cowboy hat and a Japanese boy around the same age. Not long after speaking, all four of them found Amelie and Emily at the school's front door, the redhead embracing the taller girl in a comforting hug.

"He'll be okay, I know he will..." Emily murmured as she released Amelie as the Reyes boys approached.

"What's going on?" Genji's black eyes widened when he could've sworn that Amelie was trying to hold back tears. His older sister rarely smiled and cried even less, it made his insides churn.

The glass doors opened, a rather worried-looking Jack Morrison gesturing to the Reyes kids. "Already talked to your teachers, you're cleared for the rest of the day."

Jesse followed his uncle, but his head kept looking between his siblings and Jack. "W-what's goin' on?"

"Yer scaring us Dad." Lena tailed behind them, Fareeha and Emily little more then two paces behind.

Turning towards his daughter and her friends, Jack ran a hand through his hair while Amelie led the boys to a waiting car. "I'll tell you soon, I just...I just need to process this myself." Rather suddenly he grabbed Lena in a hug and kissed her cheek. "Aunty Ana will pick you and Fareeha up, okay?"

"...okay." Lena returned the affection, her stomach backflipping. In moments her father was tearing down the street with the Reyes kids, the brunette's mind held back from the depths of panic by Emily's hand as it entwined its fingers with her own.

 

* * *

 

Two days in and Brigitte had more then earned her keep. Carefully unscrewing the bolts that kept a power cell in place, Mako's head bobbed to the savage drumbeats that accompanied the music blaring from the stereo. Brigitte had brought her own music to work and immediately Mako decided he needed Nordic metal in his playlists.

"What's this song called again?" The giant called out as he gingerly removed the power cell from the hovercar's reactor.

"Last Man Standing." Brigitte's voice was accompanied by the sizzle of red-hot metal, her face shielded by a welding mask as she patched up a hole in a truck's door. "Older then my Uncle Reinhardt, but still awesome."

The cellphone in Mako's pocket buzzed, the behemoth producing the device from the front pocket of his overalls. Reading the new texts, Mako's lips curled into a snarl. "Fuck." Hastily stuffing his wrench back into his toolpouch, Mako unclasped the belt to it and placed it back in the jawbox. "Brigitte, I need you to pick up Jamie after school if I'm not back."

Dousing the flame to the welding torch, Brigitte raised the welding mask to expose her sooty face. "Not that I don't mind, but where are you going?"

"Friend of mine's in the hospital, I need to pick up his kid from school." Mako answered, his brow furrowed as he pulled his beat up jacket on. "Don't know how long I'll be gone."

Brigitte's face hardened as she nodded. "Take as much time as you need."

Firing up his pickup truck, Mako made his way out of the cluttered downtown streets towards the northern suburbans. Unlike the sleek hovercars that made up most of the traffic, the angry-sounding gas guzzler belched exhaust while it's engine snarled like an enraged tiger. Quite a few sideways glances were cast, but Mako could care less. Parking in front of the elementary school, Mako hopped out and squeezed himself into the front office.

"Mako Rutledge, I'm here to pick up Sombra Reyes." The titanic man spoke gruffly, a mildly frightened secretary motioning towards a slightly annoyed five-year old.

"I was making new friends in class today." Sombra pouted as she followed Mako into his truck. She barely came up to his knee, one of his fingers was as big as her arm.

Helping her into the truck, Mako fastened her seatbelt before taking off down the street. He had long practiced hiding his emotions behind a gruff and dour expression on his face that many presumed to be the full extent of his facial capabilities. Today though was harder to hide, but he hoped that his worry went unnoticed by the girl next to him.

 

* * *

 

It was nothing she hadn't treated before, plenty of these injuries cropped up in the various warzones she served in. Angela had long practiced the treatment, it was fairly straightforward to her. But seeing her friend on that table, not hearing his gravelly voice requesting that she gave him a large bottle of whisky instead of anesthesia...

Burying her face in her hands, Angela released the breath she held. She had done all she could for now, there was no telling what would happen now.

"How bad?"

Dragging her fingers down her face, Angela's cobalt eyes looked over the lanky frame of Moira. The Irishwoman was clearly worried, her icy demeanour shed to better show the twitching in her gloved right hand, the slight widening of her heterochromic eyes, the way her teeth lightly bit her lips.

"He's stable." Angela answered tiredly.

"How long will he be unconscious for?" Moira dropped down so she was close to eye-level with the doctor as she could manage.

Angela's gaze dropped to the floor. "...I cannot ascertain that."

Running a hand through her short hair, Moira sighed. "They're here now."

Biting her lip, Angela got to her feet. "I'll tell them."

Her feet felt heavier, Angela's tread stiffer then before. Reaching the door to the waiting room, Angela took a deep breath to calm the tremble in her hands. Pushing the door open, she saw all four of the Reyes kids huddled on one bench while Jack paced back and forth next to them, Mako leaning against the wall. Immediately all of their eyes turned to her, Sombra squirming out of Amelie's arms and running straight for the doctor.

"Papa's okay, isn't he?!" Sombra clung to Angela's waist as if the girl was in quicksand, nothing but fear in her eyes.

Angela hadn't even realized that she was carding through Sombra's messy braid when she spoke in a flat voice. "He's stable, but unconcious. I won't know more until he wakes up."

Jack rubbed his eyes with one hand while Mako showed no change in his stance. Jesse had removed his hat and clung to it while Genji cradled his head in his hands. Amelie almost appeared dead with unshed tears while Sombra cried into Angela's leg. All the while Sombra repeated again and again in her distraught voice, "He's okay, he's gotta be..."

Angela's eyes shifted from Sombra to Jesse, then Genji and Amelie. She hated what she saw, the doctor's mind made up in less then a nanosecond. "I'll look after you all until your father's recovered."

The Reyes kids nodded, but none of them were brought out of the heavy air that drowned them.

Jack felt someone jostle his shoulder, the blonde looking up to see a giant of a man looming over him. "You're bronze, right?"

"...yeah?"

Shoving a folded piece of paper into the detective's hands, Mako's gaze darkened, the cut in his lip making his snarl even more terrifying. "If you don't find the bastard before me, there won't be anything left of him."

 

* * *

 

It was far too quiet in the Reyes household. Despite the four pizzas Angela ordered, none of Gabriel's children seemed any better then before. Amelie had locked herself in her room and despite her best efforts, the doctor could not convince the teenager to come out. But the muffled sobs Angela heard from Amelie's room confirmed her worries, the blonde tending to the half-empty pizza boxes.

Once the leftovers were in the fridge, Angela started making her way down the hallway before she froze. Turning towards the bathroom, she heard sniffling. Her bare feet made no sound on the carpeted floor, Angela gently pushing the bathroom door open with a rusty creak. The huddled form in the dark took her breath away as worry numbed the rest of her mind.

"Genji?"

The adolescent withdrew further into himself, trying to hide his eyes. Kneeling in front of him, Angela tenderly reached for his shoulder. When the boy made no leering glare or distasteful comment, her arm slowly wrapped around his shaking form. Through the thin fabric of his t-shirt she could tell that Genji was in far better fitness then anyone else his age, a testament to his foster father's training regime.

"I lost my family once." Genji's voice mirrored his face, broken and confused. "My father died and my brother went away." He tightened his grip on his elbows, his knuckles whitening. "I don't want it to happen again, I don't want to be alone again..."

"You won't be." Angela pulled the frightened boy closer, his arms untangling from himself to cling to her instead. His grip was fierce, as if he was terrified of being torn away. "He'll wake up soon, he's a strong man."

Genji sniffled as he buried his face in the crook of Angela's neck. She was by far the kindest woman he had ever known, she was always worrying about him and Jesse. She'd scold them everytime they ended up on her table, but it'd always end with the doctor asking them to be more careful.

Getting to her feet, Angela felt Genji's grip tighten as she carried him to the bedroom he and Jesse shared. Rather then turn the lights off, Angela tiptoed around the scattered clothes on the floor before lowering Genji into the bottom bed of the bunkbed, Jesse already curled up underneath his blanket.

"You two need to clean up." Angela quipped.

Genji's laugh was cold and bitter, much unlike his usual laugh. "It's on the to do list."

Despite the boy being 15 years old, Angela couldn't help but tuck him in. Then again, Angela reminded herself that Genji's life was far more different then most boys his age. "Goodnight." She whispered. She was about to make her way out the room before an arm tugged at her sweater's sleeve, Angela turning her head to see Jesse desperately trying to keep himself from crying.

"D-dad..." Jesse sniffed, his brown eyes watering. "He will b-be a-a-awake soon, r-right?"

Ruffling his messy hair, Angela smiled sadly. "He will."

Jesse's arm retracted to his blanket fortress, the boy looking miserable as he watched Angela leave their room. "G'night Angel..."

"Sleep well." Angela murmured before closing the door. Mentally checking Jesse and Genji's names off her her list, Angela turned off the hallway light as she made her way to the basement. With all of the kids in bed, she too retired for the night in the guest room. Changing out of her light grey turtleneck and ebon slacks, Angela donned the oversized black t-shirt and shorts she kept in the guest room's dresser. For a brief moment Angela forgot the misery of today in light of the fact that she was the only one Gabriel allowed to stay overnight in his house.

The slight smile faded as she pulled back the covers. Despite adopting all of them, every single Reyes kid had picked up on their father's hardheadedness. Every other night she looked after them she had to chase down a hyper Genji and Jesse, scold a mischievous Sombra, and attempt to make a conversation with Amelie to no avail. But tonight all of them were quiet, all of them withdrew from everyone. None of them talked to her about the despair they skirted around, Angela only able to help by feeding them and giving the occasional hug.

"It's all I could do." She grumbled with a bitter tone. She wanted to have done more. She wanted to have helped Gabriel awaken. She wanted to have been allowed by his children to comfort them. She wished she could've done more. Crawling under the covers, a part of her reminded the woman that 'Gabriel would've known how to look after them in a time like this'.

Drifting into sleep, Angela was ashamed for not being able to do more for the distraught Reyes family.

 

* * *

 

Angela's dreams of clocks and empty bottles gave way to the shaking sensation that drew her out of her sleep. Cracking her eyes open, she saw Sombra shaking her awake, the blonde groggily sitting up. Rubbing her eyes, Angela yawned. "What is it?"

"...I had a bad dream." Sombra timidly answered, the girl clutching her Grim Reaper plushy to her chest.

It was then that Angela realized it was still night, her eyes adjusted to the darkness to see the panic Sombra couldn't hide anymore. "I always go to Papa when I get bad dreams, but..." Sombra sniffled. "...he wasn't there."

Patting an empty space on the bed, Angela's voice was soft. It was rare when the Reyes kids trusted her this much. "You can stay with me if you want."

Sombra edged closer to Angela before lying down on her side, her back to the doctor. Lying back down, Angela hesitantly conformed her body to spoon the girl. Wrapping an arm around Sombra, Angela realized that the girl was scooting closer to her. It eased the tension in her chest, the blonde letting herself slip back into the sandman's domain.

She felt lighter then before with at least one of the Reyes kids trusting her more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to clarify; The Reyes kids do like Angela, she's been babysitting them for years now. She has what I call the step-parent principle in that the Reyes kids like her, but don't trust her. At least, not as much as they trust their father. And with Gabriel in the hospital, his kids don't know who to turn to for comfort.
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Gabriel's mother was a top-notch seamstress and costume designer. He picked up on tailoring from her and he likes to pursue it as a hobby  
> -Because they were adopted when they were 1-2 years old, Hana and Lucio have American accents. Jack however is learning Korean and Portuguese though to teach them their native languages  
> -Mako has little to no sense of touch  
> -Moira once added a shot of Tullamore Dew to her tea out of habit. Ana never served her tea again


	6. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your body recovers when you sleep. Perhaps the same happens to your soul as well

Despite this being the second morning in the Reyes home, Angela still didn't immediately recognize her surroundings. For starters, she was used to the skull-rattling volumes of Bridgette's eurometal screaming out in the background and Reindhart's booming 'good mornings'.

But then a small weight nuzzled her front and suddenly she remembered.

Blinking away the sleep from her eyes, Angela looked down at the bundle in her arms and noted that Sombra had rolled over in her sleep so that the girl was curled up against the doctor's chest. Her Grim Reaper plushy was still tight against her chest, but the little Latina seemed more relaxed than she had been earlier.

Angela smiled softly. Only two nights of Sombra sleeping with her and the blonde strongly considered having more mornings like this. The subtle implications though caused her to blush and she abruptly shook her head, her cheeks dusted with red. Despite her efforts, she could not entirely get the thought of his face out of her mind.

"Ange..?" Sombra murmured and the blonde noticed the small girl rubbing her eyes.

Sitting upright, Angela ruffled Sombra's messy black hair. "Good morning, schatzi."

"Wazz'wrng?" Sombra managed.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you shaking your head."

"Oh." Angela tried to keep the image of a certain someone out of her head. "It was just a stray thought, that's all."

The girl's face saddened, "...Was it papa?"

The same certain someone successfully popped back into her mind, but this time Angela felt sombre. "Yes."

"Is.." Sombra sniffed, "Is papa going to be ok?"

Angela hated that question, the blonde pulling Sombra onto her lap. "I think your papa is very strong, and his love for you four is even stronger. I have faith that he'd never leave you guys alone, and he will wake up very soon."

Sombra smiled hopefully, which started something warm in Angela's chest, when a sudden knock had them both looking to the door in surprise. "...yes?"

The door opened slightly and Amelie peeked into the room. Her eyes still looked a little bloodshot, and her hair a little more mussed than usual, but her usual stoic expression was on and she said, "Good morning Ms. Ziegler, Sombra. It's time to get ready for school."

"School?" Angela repeated, stunned at the thought, and the child in her arms whined. "Can't we stay with Ange a bit longer? Until papa wakes up?"

There was a flash of regret in the amber orbs, but the teen shook her head."No Sombra. Come, we must get you ready."

Sombra huffed loudly, but obediently wiggled her way out of the bed. The action kick-started something in Angela's mind and she held out a hand. "Wait, are you sure you want to go back to school? I'm sure the teachers would understand if you took a few more days off--"

"No, it is quite alright." Amelie stated and ushered Sombra down the hall, "Papa wouldn't like it if we stayed from school longer than three days, especially if the reason was... Was himself."

Hard to argue that logic. Angela sighed and climbed out of bed. "Alright then. I'll whip up some breakfast and drive you four down."

Amelie smiled gratefully before she excused herself. Angela changed out of her Pj's into a pair of black jeans and a grey turtle neck before making her way down to the kitchen, fixing her hair into it's usual messy ponytail. There were no sounds of ruckus and food-fights as she entered the room, the Reyes kids were all seated glumly at the dinner table. Jesse and Genji were half-heartedly flicking a crumb between each other will Sombra remained eerily quiet as Amelie braided her little sister's hair.

"Are you certain you want to go to school?" She asked gently as she rummaged through the cupboard for bowls and boxes of cereal.

Jesse allowed his head to drop to the table. "Nnnope."

"It's what papa would've wanted." Amelie reprimanded as she wound the last hairtie into Sombra's braid.

Sombra pouted. "But wouldn't he want us to go see him when he wakes up? How can we do that if we're at school?"

"I'm sure we could see him right after school ends." Genji soothed as he reached for the Fruit Loops that were now on the table.

Jesse sighed. "Besides, it's prolly' better we go than do more laps or something. I don't think my muscle could take it."

"Because you are weak." Genji said bluntly which earned him a handful of cornflakes being flung by his brother.

The two started bickering, which had Amelie join in when she finished her iconic ponytail, and Angela smiled at the sight. It was nowhere near as chaotic and loud as their usual fights, and it certainly lacked a certain energy, but it was a start.

While still using a fusion reactor, Gabriel's pickup moved on wheels unlike most hovercars. Angela had managed to adapt to using the old-fashioned car, the Swiss woman preferring it to the hovering vehicles most companies produced nowadays. Dropping off Amelie and her brothers first at the high school, Angela had pulled over near the Elementary school for Sombra. "I may be a bit late, but I will pick you all up after school."

Nodding, Sombra undid her seatbelt. "Si."

Helping the girl onto the ground thanks to the raised suspension Gabriel insisted on having, Angela noticed an impish grin on Sombra's face. "Yes Sombra?"

"Papa always gives me a goodbye kiss." The small Latina remarked almost too innocently.

Blinking, Angela's toes curled up inside her sneakers before she leaned down to plant a quick peck on Sombra's forehead. Giggling, the girl threw her arms around Angela's neck for a moment before skipping towards the other kindergarteners.

For awhile, Angela could only stare. It had been the first time any of the Reyes kids ever asked for such affection, but she did not feel the fear she expected.

 

* * *

 

It was far too easy for him to consider violence. Otara was a tough neighborhood and if one could not throw a good punch and take a few in return, they wouldn't last long. Shaking his head, Mako forced his mind to leave the memories of bloody leather in favor of the present. Cracking his neck, he rose from his seat. "That'll do, now give me 30!" He bellowed.

It was a brisk morning, the sports field mercifully clear of the rust colored leaves that were scattered all over the school grounds. Despite the chilling bite of the autumn breeze, the 20 girls that immediately got down to carry out push ups were undettered. While he had allowed long pants, Mako was secretly proud that only 4 of them took up that offer, the rest sticking to their shorts.

To anyone else, the idea of wearing shorts in autumn was hypothermic at the least. To the redheaded teenager that relentless carried out the exercises, her blood was running too hot to stop. Once they finished their push ups, sit ups, squats, and stretches, Mako handed out rugby balls. "Passing drills." He stated, the immense man sporting a plain black t-shirt and cargo pants while his feet were bare.

Joining a line of 10, Emily and the others broke into a run across the field. To her left, she watched the ball get passed one at a time until she caught it. Tossing it to the girl behind her on the right, the young Scotswoman slowed down just enough to let the teammate she just passed to get ahead for the next line of passes. Reaching the other end of the field, Emily's line made an abrupt turn and sprinted faster, their motions quicker yet accurate.

"Three more times." Mako ordered before turning his head towards a rather unexpected sight. "The hell are you doing here Jamison?"

"Figured the shelias would like somethin' ta drink." Jamie grunted as he lowered the large cooler onto the ground.

"You're supposed to be in class."

"Me mates take priority." Jamie retorted. Noticing that the rugby team had finished their passing drills, the Australian waved his hands over his head. "Gotcha all cold ones!"

As they approached the open cooler, all the girls made varying thankful comments ranging from 'thank you' to 'you are such a cinnamon roll'. Those ones confused Jamie he had to admit, last he checked he was an illegal Australian immigrant. But seeing their genuine smiles brought one from him as well as he scratched the back of his head.

"He's single you know." Mako idly commented, Jamie immediately striking the behemoth in the gut which did not so much as irritate the Maori man. "Take a quick drink then practice kicks."

While the rest of her teammates began practicing kicking the ball, Emily approached her coach. "Hey uh...I heard about Gabe." She noticed the slight clenching of Mako's fingers, the rest of him remaining rigid. "Just wondering how you're holding up."

"Tryin' not to dwell on it." Mako answered flatly. "Reckon you should do the same."

"That French gal of yers ain't looking too well to boot." Jamie chimed in before he recieved a sharp glare from Mako.

"Class. NOW."

Defensively throwing his hands up, Jamie began limping back towards the school. "Alright, alright."

Once the boy was back inside, Mako nodded towards the teammates practicing. "Back to work." He grunted to Emily.

Nodding, the redhead resumed her rugby drills. While keeping her mind on the ball, Emily still couldn't help but think of the chilling air around Mako and her aunty. They were like ticking time bombs since the shooting, a dark and vicious glare in their eyes. She really hoped that the two did not fly off the handle, she did not want to see an angry Moira again.

 

* * *

 

"How's he doing?" Jack handed the thermos to Ana, the American sipping from his coffee mug.

"Has not woken up yet." Ana replied as she accepted the thermos. Taking a sip, her narrowed ever-so-slightly.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jack sighed. "Look, you have a VERY particular way about your tea--"

"You get a B minus." Ana interjected as she screwed the lid back onto the thermos. The sound of the Funeral March played, the ex-soldier producing her cellphone and eyeing the screen. "Moira has something, I'll go see what she found." Noticing that Jack was about to turn back towards the door, Ana glared daggers at him. "And YOU will keep an eye on him."

Irritably groaning, Jack made his way towards room 13. "Of course it's 13..."

Opening the door, Jack took up a seat at the chair next to the bed. Running a hand through his hair, Jack sighed. "...last time I saw you, I'd do anything to put you in here." Shaking his head, Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "...and now that you're here I'd do anything to wake you up."

Admittedly Gabriel had looked worse, he was once clean-shaven with the flames from an explosion from a run in with a OR-15. Fortunately his hair grew back along with most of his skin, but seeing the man who's reaction to being shot was to get up and stab the offender several times lying on the bed with thick bandages around his head...

Leaning back in his seat, Jack rubbed his eyes. "...we were going to have our kids in the same class. Now Lena and Amelie are all grown up." He took a sip from his mug, his gaze directed at nothing. "Why are we still fighting Gabe?"

Jack played the fateful argument over and over again in his head and he only intended it half the time. He had wanted to punch Gabriel's face until either his hand broke or Gabriel's face was permanently disfigured that day, he saw nothing but red until a frightened Lena asked him to calm down.

He was never that angry before.

"...my dad missed hanging out with you." Jack mused. "He's still on that ranch, but Jill's there with Jimbo. Kinda wondering where you ended up."

Gabriel only breathed, his eyes closed.

Sighing, Jack stroked his beard. "I uh...I heard about your mom too." He easily felt the lines that defined his face, his body feeling unnaturally old. "I know it's a raw deal, but...I'm still here for you." He bitterly chuckled. "I'm your hermano like she said."

"You're accent is atrocious."

"Oh shut it." Jack remarked. "I mean you're mom made those awesome churros, she still sent me a pack even after shit hit the fan."

"Glad that's how you remember her."

"Look, those were the sweetest things I ever--"

Jack blinked as he realized that he was not imagining things. Turning his head, he saw a tired and irritated Gabriel with his eyes half-open. "...how long were you awake for?"

"Long enough." Gabriel replied, his gaze reflecting apprehension. Groaning, the SWAT commander began to sit up. Immediately Jack tried to stop him.

"Look, a bullet grazed your head. You need to keep still--" Jack was cut off by Gabriel using him as a way to get to his feet.

"My kids need me..." Gabriel got to his feet and immediately swayed, his head in his hands as he groaned. "...and I need a drink." Gritting his teeth, Gabriel rubbed his eyes with one calloused hand. "How long was I out for?"

"Three days." Jack answered grimly. "Angela's been looking after your kids."

"Good." Gabriel grumbled. He was still in a hospital gown, a pair of folded black cargo pants and a dark grey sleeveless shirt perched nearby. "Unless you wanna see me naked, get out."

Keeping his back to his former friend, Jack folded his arms over his chest. "Look, I can understand you wanting to get back to your kids but you are not driving yourself home."

Even something as easy as getting dressed was fuelling the jackhammer in Gabriel's skull. "...you offering?"

"...yeah." Jack felt a stab of unease, but he ignored it like the knife he took to the gut during his tenure in South Africa.

Having got his pants and shirt on, Gabriel tied his bootlaces together and had his combat boots dangling around his neck while his bunched up socks were in hand. "Fine, let's blow this ice cube stand."

After intimidating the hospital receptionist into letting Gabriel out, the two old soldiers climbed into Jack's car. Flopping into the passenger seat, Gabriel reclined as far down as he could as he cradled his head. Taking to the street, Jack kept his eyes on the road. "...so how're your kids? Sombra, Genji, and...Jimmy?"

"Jesse." Gabriel's voice was a dull blade. "Sombra was in kindergarten while the boys are starting high school with Amelie."

Nodding, Jack did not look at his former friend. "My kids started school a few days ago. Hana and Lucio are in kindergarten too while Lena's in high school."

"...school started a week ago." Gabriel quipped.

"We got held up when we moved into town." Jack retorted.

Neither of them spoke again, content to remain in silence. The suffocating tension had stifled for tired silence, much like a fire that would not ignite. It was far from the long conversations and jokes they shared in the barracks and paratrooper planes, neither of them so much as smirking.

But neither of them felt the same murderous urge.

 

* * *

 

"This is stupid."

"So you've mentioned. Doesn't mean you are getting out of doing it." Amelie said bluntly and Jesse groaned loudly, ruffling his wild hair in frustraion.

"What does this symbol even mean?" He whined and pointed at his Algebra book accusingly. "I bet these ass--"

"Language." Amelie snapped - jerking her head pointedly in Sombra's direction- and her brother scoffed.

"Fine. I bet these 'big meanies' are just making up bull--'cow patties' to screw with us kids! It's extortion, I tell you!"

"Uh, you realize that is an incorrect use of the term, right?" Genji pointed out and Amelie snorted, "If he did his homework ever he might."

"Is Jesse ed...ed-oo-cake-tionally challenged?" Sombra asked innocently and while Genji and Amelie snorted the cowboy looked at his sister indignantly. "Excuse me!?"

"Yes." The French teen eventually managed and patted Sombra's head. "Yes he is. Don't worry though, it's not contagious, so your brain is safe."

"Be nice to your brother." Angela halfheartedly called out. The Reyes boys and Amelie were seated around the dining room table with various homework pages scattered about while the doctor was lounging on the couch, her hair released from its usual messy ponytail. Despite the shorter shift, Angela was still exhausted from the various emergency surgeries she had carried out and the argument the kids had on the drive home only aggravated her migraine.

Turning her head to the side, she recognized Sombra's mischievous grin. "...ja, schatzi?"

The cheeky grin the small Latina gave her triggered Angela's memory of calling Sombra 'schatzi' repeatedly during her stay. She did not have time to feel flustered about it before the kindergartener replied. "Papa doesn't like anyone drinking his octopus juice."

Glancing at the freshly opened bottle of Kraken Rum, Angela bit her lip. "...perhaps we could keep this between us?"

Sombra did not have time to reply before her attention was drawn to the front door. Milliseconds later and everyone's was, a pair of voices audible just outside. "Look, let me help you up--"

"I am not that old!" An angry voice snarled.

The second one sparked something in all of the Reyes kids, even Amelie's golden eyes lit up with a special glint. "PAPAAA!" Sombra zipped towards the door with her brothers close behind, Amelie only two steps behind them all as they burst through the front door.

Hopping to her feet, Angela headed to the door to see Gabriel laughing in a mildly pained way as he clung to all of his children, Jack standing a little ways off to the side with a slight smile. Sombra had clambered up for her legs to be around her father's waist and her arms around his neck while Jesse and Genji clung to his legs, Amelie leaning over her brothers to hold onto him.

All of them seemed afraid, as if Gabriel would disappear at any moment.

"W-we were so s-s-scared." Sombra sniffled, her face buried into the crook of Gabriel's neck.

Carding through his youngest child's hair, Gabriel kissed Sombra's cheek. "C'mon, I'm the toughest man alive! I'd kick death right in his bony cajones." Gently prying Sombra off, Gabriel lowered her onto the ground so he could give each of his kids some attention. "Nothing will ever keep me away from you guys." There were the faintest signs of tears in his eyes. "Nothing."

Kneeling down, Gabriel and his children hugged each other as if doomsday would soon be upon them. Smiling, Angela watched Gabriel lead his children back inside. "You should still be in the hospital."

"Sorry Angela." Gabriel sheepishly replied as he ruffled Jesse's messy brown hair.

Sighing, Angela produced her penlight and approached the Latino man. "At least let me give you a quick examination." When Gabriel nodded his consent, she briefly shone the penlight into each of his eyes and noticed a slight change in the speed his pupils adjusted. "Have you been having any headaches? Lightheadedness?"

"Both." Gabriel answered as he blinked away the spots in his eyes.

Pocketing her penlight, Angela gently prodded Gabriel's head to check for abnormalities in his skull. Thankfully she found none, the doctor giving an approving nod. "Aside from an increase in headaches for the next week or so, you are good as can be."

"Not fit for active duty?"

"Not for about five days." Angela replied.

"You hear that kids?" Gabriel excitedly chuckled. "I've got a week to catch up with all of you!" Immediately all of them latched to him in another group hug, but Gabriel didn't mind. If anything, he seemed far more affectionate then before.

"You need a ride home?" Jack asked as he nodded towards the car.

"That'd be wunderbar." Angela replied. "Just need to grab a few things first." When the ex-soldier nodded, the doctor approached Gabriel once his kids let go of him to retrieve their past exploits. She didn't even have enough time to speak before she was pulled in for a tight hug by Gabriel, one that oozed gratefulness.

"Thank you for looking after them." Gabriel whispered in a shaky voice.

In the six years she spent stitching up Gabriel's many injuries, she had never heard weakness in his voice. Angela was shocked at first by how vulnerable he sounded, but she smiled as she returned the hug. "It was my pleasure."

He held her longer then usual, Gabriel letting go when a small part of him commented on how spring was already blooming outside. "Sorry, just a little emotional..."

Angela shook her head. "Nein, it's okay."

The two shared a soft chuckle before staring into each other's eyes. Each of them wondered if the other had always been that attractive before Angela spoke again. "I should be getting back, I need to check on Reinhardt."

"Oh yeah, his knee." Tailing the doctor to the door, Gabriel helped Angela into her coat. "Still, I owe you dinner some time."

"I'll make sure my schedule's clear then." Angela giggled as she started making her way out the door. "Goodbye, Gabriel."

"You'll see me soon doc." Gabriel chuckled.

"Not too soon I hope." Angela replied before making her way to the waiting car.

Hours later Angela was curled up under the covers of her own bed, but it felt different then when she left. For perhaps the first time, she truly felt alone.

 

* * *

 

"Papa?"

"Yeah?" Gabriel tucked his youngest in with a care and tenderness that exceeded the one he displayed when handling firearms.

"Did you know that Ange gives good kisses?" That remark sent Gabriel's train of thought careening off the tracks. "She gave me one when she dropped me off at school today. Maybe you two should kiss to see who's is better!"

It was the adorable look on his daughter's face that brought Gabriel out of his brief lapse of coherent thought. "M-maybe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sombra is the best matchmaker ever
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Moira adds a shot of whisky to everything out of habit. She once added a shot of whisky to her whisky tumbler without even realizing the redundency  
> -Gabriel has very weak capsaicin receptors on his tongue  
> -While fluent in French, Jack fails at Spanish  
> -As a joke, Reinhardt once got Angela a Chansey plushy. She liked it so much, she ended up getting him a Rhydon keychain  
> -Ana's ringtone for Torbjiorn is the Bob the Builder theme


	7. Peace of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone finds their own little corners of calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the wait, Wi-Fi is notoriously unreliable where I live. Hope this is worth it

With her moniker 'the angel of mercy', Angela Ziegler lived up to that nickname every day without even being conciously aware of it. It did not matter who she was treating or what their injury was, she displayed unfappable kindness to everyone. Some of her regular patients called her 'Angel' instead and she had to admit that it made her smile.

With such a reputation for sweetness, it'd be a surprise for everyone who knew Angela that she was currently riding an angry-sounding gas-guzzling motorcycle while clad in black leather decorated with golden studs and 'Do No Harm' painted on the back of her jacket in white ink.

Revving the raging machine at the red light, Angela smirked behind the bandanna over her face at the gawking bystanders on the sidewalk and in traffic with her. Nearly all the other vehicles were modern hovercars and hovercycles, their electric motors and fusion reactors shamed by the bestial metal snarls from the Honda Shadow Angela rode. Popping the clutch the second the light turned green, Angela cruised down the street, the road leading to the open stretches of highways that wound through the forests of Vancouver Island.

Traffic began to thin out the further Angela got from the city, her bike picking up speed. Once there was nothing but open road ahead, her revs per minute skyrocketed. Her long blonde hair danced in the wind as she tore down the highway, the doctor feeling all of the weight on her soul giving way.

Patting the gas tank affectionately, Angela whispered. "Ride on Shade."

For the next few hours, Angela did not feel the pressure to save another's life slowly crushing her. She did not feel the confusion of what she felt around Gabriel. She did not feel the sharp sting of loneliness that never left her on that dark day in the Omnic Crisis.

She felt free.

 

* * *

 

"Probably the last time we'll get to do this until spring."

"...yep."

Mako only grunted, the behemoth leading the trio down the short trail through scrub and trees, the sound of water lapping against the shore becoming sharper. There was a crunch of branches and dried needles underneath their feet, the shade of trees giving way to miles of sand and sea underneath a greyed sky.

There was no sound of traffic or people, no reek of smoke and asphalt. Only the salty aroma of the ocean and the sound of it gently washing against the shore.

Kicking her black shoes off at the treeline, Moira felt the cool sand against her bare feet. The beach was completely flat, the only sign of anything here was the trail of footprints behind her. Wearing a pair of white capris and a black cardigan, the redhead took a seat on the ground and stretched her legs out in front of her. "Shall we drink gentlemen?" The coroner asked as she placed her bag next to her. She shed the black leather glove on her right hand, revealing the burnt and blistered skin underneath.

"Not yet." Gabriel answered as he took his seat next to her. His combat boots and bright purple socks were left near Moira's shoes, the SWAT commander sporting his black hoodie and equally onyx cargo pants. His ponytail poked out from the bottom of his toque as he flopped onto the ground and released a deep sigh.

Grunting, Mako took a seat next to Gabriel, the massive man wearing a plain white undershirt and a pareau around his waist. His long silver hair was in its usual topknot, the Maori lying on the ground as well, his giant hands folded atop his stomach.

Moira followed suit, the tree of them releasing a content sigh as they stretched their legs out. Mako idly twiddled his thumbs as he rested his hands on his stomach while Gabriel had his arms at his sides while Moira laced her hands behind her head. Lounging on the unspoiled beach, the trio enjoyed listening to nature.

Water gently lapped at the shore. Crows and eagles called out in the distance. Leaves rustled in the cool autumn breeze.

Gabriel hadn't even realized how much time had passed until he glanced at his watch. "We've been here for an hour and a half already."

"Anyone thirsty now?" Moira asked almost half a minute later.

"Sure." Mako grumbled as he pushed himself up so he was sitting upright, Gabriel and Moira joining him.

Zipping her bag open, Moira produced a bottle with 'Oban-10 Years' printed on the parchment-colored label along with three whisky tumblers. "I got this before the Crisis so it should actually be 19 years now."

"Sounds good." Gabriel commented as he fished a wooden box from his hoodie pocket, the Latino sliding it open to reveal 5 thick cigars. "These are a Nicaraguan blend, Don Thomas."

"Cheers." Mako accepted the cigar his friend passed him, his thick fingers wrenching it's plastic wrappings open to release the bitterly sweet aroma of the tobbaco.

Taking a long sniff as she ran her cigar just underneath her nose, Moira's lips twitched upwards. "Good selection." Stretching out her long arm, she handed Gabriel and Mako their own tumblers, the acridic yet smoky scent of the aged whisky tickling their sinuses.

Flicking his lighter open, Mako took a few puffs to get the tip of the cigar alight. There was an orange glow as smoke curled upwards, the giant tossing his lighter to Gabriel. Once his cigar was lit, the SWAT commander handed the lighter to Moira who was quick to follow suit. The reek of tobacco smoke filled the air, all of them savoring the flavor. Mako allowed the smoke to linger in his mouth for a few moments before slowly puffing it out while Gabriel took longer drags and exhales then the others, Moira inhaling some of the smoke while releasing the rest.

Simultaneously all three of them took a sip from their tumblers, the earthy and bitter flavor of the whisky dancing with the smoky and heavy taste of the cigar. In good company and with a fine cigar and drink in hand, the trio watched the ocean tickle their toes.

It was a beautiful day.

 

* * *

 

Normally when two close girl friends see each other again after being apart for years, Reinhardt expected high pitched squeals of excitement. While adorable, it still confused the German veteran. However, he was rather pleased with how Fareeha and Brigitte greeted each other.

"Sup greasemonkey!" Fareeha yelled as she put the Swede in a headlock.

"Doing great punch-a-holic!" Brigitte retorted as she not only escaped but judo-flipped Fareeha, the Egyptian teen avoiding hitting the floor with her outstretched arms.

"Knock it off before you break something." Torbjiorn grumbled. "I just finished putting the coffee table together."

Chuckling as he watched the two girls exchange affectionate punches, Reinhardt's good eye brightened up when he saw a familiar face in the doorway. The eye patch was new along with the silver streaks in her braid, but she was examining the gunmetal grey hue his beard and hair took and the leg brace strapped to his right leg.

"Reinhardt Wilhelm."

"Ms. Amari."

Like any gentleman, Reinhardt gently took Ana's hand into his own and leaned down to peck her knuckles. "How wunderbar to see you again." There was a special twinkle in his good eye as he smiled. "And might I say that you are like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating."

The hand that was not in the gentle grip of the giant went to her heart, Ana dramatically giggling. "You're not so bad yourself handsome."

Torbjiorn's face puckered with distaste as he watched his brother from another mother act so...flirty. "I'm going to pretend I did not see that." The dwarf muttered as he extened a hand towards Ana. "Still, good to see you again Amari!"

Returning the handshake, Ana gave Torbjiorn a different smile from the one she gave Reinhardt. "Likewise Lindholm. How is Ingrid the rest of your children?"

The engineer gave deep belly laughs as he led Ana into the house, Reinhardt ducking his head to fit through the door. "Lively as always! She's just taking them out to a car show for the day."

"Why didn't you let them stay?"

The sound of wood snapping answered that question, Torbjiorn stomping towards the living room as he yelled a string of Swedish curses. Watching the weaponsmith storm off, Ana sighed. "Some things never change."

"Agreed." Reinhardt smiled as he shot her a longing glance.

After berating the two teenagers for demonstrating jiu-jitsu grapples in what was obviously not an ideal place to do so, Torbjiorn had settled himself on his recliner while Reinhardt and Ana took the couch. Brigitte and Fareeha huffed as they sat on the floor, but their moods immediately brightened when Torbjiorn handed them a bright yellow hardhat with various soft drinks and straws duct-taped to it each.

"This is oddly familiar..." Reinhardt snorted as he suppressed a laugh as the two girls excitedly sipped from their drinkhats as a familair fist-shaped logo wreathed in lightning appeared on the TV.

"Just like when they were kids." Ana sighed fondly.

A rumbling bass voice rang out from the TV, Brigitte and Fareeha trembling in anticipation. "Ladies, gentlemen, and Omnics, welcome back to the greatest display of strength, speed, stamina, and pure badassery in the world! Welcome back to the universe's number one combat sport, the ultimate collection of brawlers, grapplers, and high-flyers, the earth-shattering show that will rock your world!"

Fareeha and Brigitte yelled with the announcer as the screen displayed a stadium packed to the rim with spectators, spotlights cast on a giant iron cage in the middle as a gauntlet made of gold hung above it. "The Doomfist Cage Gladiator CHAMPIONSHIP!"

Both girls pumped their fists in the air as they whooped and cheered, Torbjiorn eagerly leaning forward in his seat while Ana and Reinhardt snickered at the enthusiasm from the front row. A woman with long hair that was shaved at the sides and sharp features accompanied an Omnic on the screen, the two dressed in monochrome suits as they overlooked the arena.

"Good evening!" The Omnic's voice had been programmed to be guttural and growling like the lead singer of a death metal band. "Once again you're color commentary is brought to you by the Duo of Destruction! I am Rockatansky..."

"...and I'm Furiosa!" The woman added. "And welcome to another live match for the first bracket of the Doomfist Championship!"

"I've gotta say Furiosa, we've got quite the line up!" Rockatansky commented as the footage cut to a chart of the compettitors. "Just two fights in the first bracket and we've seen the Ogre and Shellshock mop the floor with the likes of the Exterminator and Blackbeard and that's only the tip of this iceberg!"

"Trust me Rock, this iceberg could sink Titanic with the big names that're competing! They've really opened up all the taps for this tournament, the world's most dangerous fighters have been invited and all of them are out for blood!" Furiosa's voice was played over the cheers of the crowd in the arena, the lights dimming as a lone spotlight focused on one side of the building.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the dreaded king of the hill!" A man in a tuxedo motioned towards the spotlit door, a heavy metal guitar riff playing. "He's dug up stone in a quarry with his bare hands, he's man who throws boulders like they're pebbles, and he is the hammer from hell! Put your hands together for the infamous, SLEDGE!"

Brigitte and Fareeha booed the TV as a man as big as Reinhardt emerged from backstage, his 7-foot plus body built of nothing but scarred and calloused muscles. He wore a simple pair of black cargo pants tucked into steel-toe boots, his face masked by an iron helm with two bull-like horns protruding from the sides.

"They get so excited." Ana chuckled and Torbjorn rolled his eyes. "Mm. Wouldn't hurt if they got excited quietly though."

Reindhart laughed heartily. "Leave them be, old firend. They are entitled to act however they please! After all, it has been so long since they've last seen each other."

"A couple of years isn't that long!" The Swede objected and took a swig of his coffee. "You and I have been split for much longer than that, after all, and we weren't nearly as loud."

"IS that so?" Ana smriked over her tea cup and Torbjorn paused as he remembered that Reindhart had in fact been twice as enthusiatic as the girls and louder than both of them put together.

He concceeded a sigh, "Fine, maybe we -and I mean you- weren't so quiet after all."

Reindhart looked confused. "What did I do?"

"I seem to recall getting half of my ribs broken as you crushed the life out of me." Torbjorn said pointedly and the large German belted out another laugh.

"Ah, and weren't they such good times, my little friend!"

His hearty laughter boomed within the living room -much to the amusement of it's older occupants- when both Fareeha and Brigitte whipped around with annoyed looks plastered on their faces. "SHHHH!" They both hissed just as there was another roar of cheering from the TV.

The spotlight was on a brick wall, but cracks started appearing on it as if someone was breaking it down from the other side. "And in the red corner, he desolates death row prisoners!" More cracks appeared. "He calls supermax prisons training gyms!" The wall was about to give way any moment. "He is the king of the jaihouse! He is..."

The wall shattered, revealing a black man on on the other side. His outstretched fist was covered in brick and concrete dust. Casually stepping over the rubble, Brigitte and Fareeha joined the announcer in yelling his name.

"AKANDE OGUNDIMU!"

Akande blew the dust off his knuckles as if they were a smoking gun as he approached the cage. "This'll be quite the match Rock!" Furiosa commented. "Of the compettitors we've got, Sledge and Akande use the most brutal training methods! Sledge has punched so much rock that his fists are as hard as steel!"

"Strength's one thing Furiosa, but skill is another." Rockatansky countered as the two fighters entered the cage. "Akande voluntarily entered supermax prisons around the world to fight against the world's most dangerous criminals! And I don't mean the skels you've got in a typical Yankee prison, I mean Interpol's most wanted war criminals and serial killers!"

"Sounds like you've decided on who's going to win this already Rock."

"Trust me Furiosa, not just anyone can tough it out in a supermax, let alone 8!"

Once the two were in the cage, the refferee joined them before they were locked in. After tapping each other's fists, Akande and Sledge headed to their respective corners. "Five round limit and there is no holding back!" The ref announced. "Last one standing wins..."

"Because two fighters go in!" The crowd yelled in unison along with Fareeha and Brigitte. "But only one comes out!"

The second the bell rang, Sledge and Akande were at each other's throats. Not only was he bigger and had greater reach, but Sledge also seemed to have raw strength on his side as his punches that hit the cage's bars left large dents in the metal. Giving a low whistle, Torbjiorn leaned closer. "I'd hate to meet him in a dark alley."

"He may have longer reach, but that does mean that it takes longer for him to bring his arms back to defend himself." Ana commented as she watched Akande evade and dodge Sledge's punches.

Before Sledge could react, Akande dealt s serious of furious jabs to the giant's side. Sledge didn't even wince as he swung one of his immense arms towards Akande, his opponent stepping back to avoid the hit. Dropping onto his back, Akande's legs shot forward to strike Sledge's gut. While he stumbled backwards, Sledge remained standing before renewing his assault.

"He's quick for a man of his size." Reinhardt remarked as he stroked his beard. "Perhaps that's his plan..."

"Wear down Sledge before exploting him in his tired state." Ana finished as she watched Sledge dent another solid steel bar with his fist as Akande narrowly sidestepped the hit. "...however one hit from Sledge could finish him off."

Brigitte and Fareeha's linguistic capabilities became incomprehensible excited exclamations every time Akande went on the offensive and just as easily shifted to nervous groans and mutterings when Sledge had his opponent backing off. The two girls began to shake as they sipped from their drink hats, the caffeine heightening their reactions. While more mellowed, Torbjiorn was watching with anticipation as the rounds passed by.

Come round 4, both fighters looked tired but with Sledge the exhaustion was more apparent. Feeling a shift in weight on the couch, Reinhardt watched Ana get to her feet. "I just need to check something." She spoke, the old Crusader standing up.

"What do you need to check?" There was no undertones of any emotion other then curiosity in Reinhardt's question as he followed Ana to the back door. Moments later the two were looking up at a dimly starlit sky.

Clucking her tongue, Ana shook her head. "Blasted light pollution..."

"I would lay siege to the power plant if it would lift your mood." Reinhardt's voice was quieter then usual, but was still as majestic and rolling like an ocean wave.

Chuckling, Ana lightly swatted his arm. "Oh you charmer."

"Forgive me for loving your smiling face." Reinhardt remarked as he led her to the couch that was on the deck in the backyard. Once she was seated, the giant followed suit as they both turned their gazes towards the clear night sky.

"I remember the night sky in Egypt." Ana began as she leaned into Reinhardt's side. "Jack, Gabe, and I were stuck in the desert after our transports were shot down, but the three of us made it back to base..."

"...by following the North Star." Reinhardt finished.

Ana smiled as she looked into his eye. "You remembered?"

"There is nothing about you I could ever forget." Reinhardt replied as he wrapped an arm around her.

The two remained seated like that, enjoying each other's company. Before long, they were lost to sleep, their hands laced together as they slept underneath the night sky.

 

* * *

 

With Ana and Fareeha spending the night at the Lindholm's, the Morrison's had more room then usual on the giant makeshift bed on the floor. Having collapsed in a heap earlier, Jack snored as he lied on his back between his children and the door. He adamantly refused to sleep anywhere else, the kitchen and dining room windows visible from where he was.

After a long day of interrogations and canvassing neighbourhoods, Jack would've slept through the rest of the year. He probably would've if he wasn't shaken out of his sleep. Cracking his eyes open, Jack recognized his youngest's worried gaze, a worn and well-loved bunny plushy in her arms.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Jack yawned.

"...I had a bad dream." Hana whimpered as she scooted closer to her father. She felt his coarse and calloused fingertips brushing through her long brown hair, each stroke calming her down as she snuggled closer to him.

Kissing her forehead, Jack remained lying on his back while Hana curled up against his side. He heard her soft breaths as she fell right back to sleep, the detective letting his eyes drift shut. He felt heavier then when he got up this morning, fatigue dragging him down to the soft mattresses.

...he wasn't used to soft things.

He hadn't been for a long time. He thought back to the bombed-out buildings and half-assed camps he, Ana, and Gabriel had set up in the Black Forest, Sahara, Alps and plenty more besides. He always fell right to sleep second it was safe to do so and he was used to sleeping on a rock with a small patch of moss for a pillow.

It was a comfy mattress, be he couldn't fall back to sleep.

There was a rustle of cloth, Jack looking up to see Lucio edging towards him and Hana. "What's wrong?"

Lucio swallowed. "Just hard to sleep."

Motioning for his son to approach, Jack helped Lucio get comfy with him and Hana. Lucio settled himself next to his younger sister, the boy's eyes closing. "...do you have bad sleep too Dad?"

Stretching his arm to hold both of them, Jack sighed. "Sometimes."

"What helps?"

Jack stared at the ceiling, the question tolling again and again in his head. He heard Lucio's soft snores, everyone but him alseep. The ex-soldier was so tired, he wished he could close his eyes and be out like a light. Yet the for the fatigue that turned his bones into lead and his muscles to water, Jack could not sleep.

He felt a weight on his stomach, Jack snapping out of his stupor. Looking up, he saw Lena using his gut as a pillow, her short brown hair resembling a stegosaurus' silhouette. Furrowing his brow, Jack's gaze reflected his perplexed mind. "...aren't you too old for this?"

"No one's too old for affection and I didn't want to be left out." Lena pouted as she got herself comfy on her father's stomach.

Sighing, Jack felt the combined warmth from his children as they snuggled around him. He still felt the fatigue and weariness that gnawed on his body, his eyelids closing. The rampant thoughts in his head began to settle as he gently embraced his children, the ex-soldier's mind resigning to the peaceful realm of the sleeping.

He hadn't slept so well before.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brigitte and Pharah are fluent in friendly violence for the simple fact that one is the only one who can take and deal a good punch from the other


	8. School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the lives of the children who will be the future of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT AN UPDATE!
> 
> I am so sorry for taking so long with this. Firstly, I live in a small Pacific island which greatly limits my wifi access. Secondly, I've been having serious artblock. But thanks to my sister's collaboration, I'm picking up this project again!
> 
> Hope this was worth the wait

Lucio loved his walkman.

Most people couldn't understand why he'd choose a walkman of all things -especially since they were considered obsolete tech nowadays- but while he found the music pads shops sold to be entertaining, there was something about a walkman's old-school lilt that remained Lucio's absolute favourite.

So when his dad gave Lucio his old one, the small boy had insatnly become enamored with it and refused to let it out of his sight for even the briefest of moments and school was no exception.

"Hana! Hana listen to this one!" He chattered excitedly and hurried over to his sister. The small brunette was hunched over in the middle of the playground with an old-school Gameboy in her hands and a look of utmost concentration on her face, and when Lucio plopped down next to her she held a hand in his face.

"Not yet! I wanna beat this bozo!"

"But there's this really cool song--"

"Hang on!" Hana insisted and with a flurry of button jabs and toggle manipulating her device suddenly chimed and she let out a whoop! "YES! Nerf that!"

Lucio laughed at her enthusiasm before he pulled off his head phones and plopped them down over Hana's head. "Ok, you won. Now listen to this!"

An upbeat tune played out through the headphones and Hana stilled as she listened to it carefully. Before long a smile was gracing her face and she was bobbing her head along enthusiastically. "THIS IS REALLY COOL!"

"You talk so loudly, amiga." A voice suddenly chimed up behind them and the two children turned to see Sombra smiling mischievously.

"Sombra! Where've you been? Break started ages ago." Lucio asked and Hana added way too loudly, "YOU MISSED ME KICKING BUTT!"

Sombra laughed cheerfully as she took a seat beside them. "I had to do something special. Look!"

Pulling a collection of papers out from behind her back, the Morrisons eyes went wide with shock.

"Sombra! That's the teacher's answer sheet!" Lucio hissed worriedly and Hana's face lit up in wonderment, "How did you get those?"

Sombra's eyes twinkled as she fanned herself with the pages. "I have my ways..." Her dark eyes lit up with her trademark mischevious glint, the small Latina hopping to her feet. "I'll be right back, have to talk to someone!"

Watching Sombra disappear underneath the immense metal construct of monkey bars, bridges, slides, and climbing walls, Lucio and Hana started tailing her. Unlike most children their age, the Morrison kids were rather good at the army crawl as they slid into a crawlspace underneath the playground. Peeking out at the space underneath one of the slides, they saw Sombra talking to a kid about 3 years older then her.

"What're they doing?" Hana whispered.

"Dunno." Lucio replied in a hushed tone.

The older child looked around for a moment before handing Sombra a large chocolate bar, the Latina handing him a folded page of some sort. The Morrisons noticed the irritated look on the older kid's face as he shoved a packet of Skittles into Sombra's hands and the girl gave him another page.

"...are those the test answers?!" Hana gasped.

Lucio's eyes widened in realization. "She's a dealer!"

Sombra happily skipped towards one of the benches on the outer edge of the playground, Lucio and Hana wriggling out of their hiding spot. There was a crinkling of cellophane as Sombra unwrapped her prize, the Latina taking a bite as she saw the Morrison kids approaching. "Yes?"

Plopping herself next to Sombra, Hana cupped her hand around her mouth as she whispered. "Are you a candy dealer?"

Nefariously giggling, Sombra broke off a piece of chocolate and offered it to the two. "Don't tell on me and I'll give you a cut."

Lucio huffily folded his arms over his chest. "I won't tell, but Dad says to stay away from kids like you."

"Do you know where to get Pokemon cards?" Hana asked as she took the offering of candy.

Sombra grinned deviously. "Which cards?"

"Hana!"

 

* * *

 

"Pssst! Ame! PSSST!"

No response.

Lena rolled her eyes and tore out a blank page from her work book. Crumpling it into a ball, the brunette checked to make sure no one was looking before throwing her creation. The paper ball arched in the air perfectly and bounced off Amelie's back. She whipped around and her golden eyes immediately locked on to Lena, who was being oh so subtle about her little stunt as she waved her arms frantically in the air.

'WHAT ARE WE STUDYING?' She mouthed and Amelie squinted.

'...WHAT?'

'WHAT ARE WE STUDYING?'

'WHAT?'

'WHAT...ARE...WE-- "Oh fudge this."

Huffing huffily, Lena flipped to another blank page and quickly scribbled down her question before holding the book up to the French teen. Amelie snorted when she read the message and gave Lena a pointed look before she too wrote something down in her own book.

**_Weren't you paying any attention? I thought this was your FAVOURITE class?_ **

Lena made a face of mock surprise when Amelie held up her message and quickly jotted down her retaliation. _~~YOU ARE SUCH A~~ WAS TO! And I said WINSTON's my favourite TEACHER, not science!_

Amelie was smirking now as she added something else.

**_Well then, Ms. 'Smarty-I-pay-attention-pants', what are we studying?_ **

Lena flushed as she tried to figure out a response when someone suddenly cleared their throat. Freezing in her seat, the brunette looked up slowly and blushed even further when she saw the 700 pound gorilla that was her teacher in front of her with an amused expression on his face. "Playing smoke signals, are we?"

Lena realized then that she was still holding her book up -with the messages- clear for everyone to see and she suddenly wished she could melt into a puddle of goo and escape the onslaught of embarrasment.

"Uh, um, well--" She stammered and Winston chuckled. "It's fine, as long as I don't catch you doing it again. "

"Th-thanks you so much!"

"You're welcome." Winston tipped his head before a spark of mischief flashed in eyes , "By the way, I find it very flattering that I'm your favourite teacher."

There was a chorus of laughter as Lena's head practically steamed from how hotly her cheeks were flushing and Winston smiled broadly as he turned back around. "Alright, we're now going to be taking a close look at how pulse reactors work, so I would like all of you to team up into groups of three and choose a workstation. Hup to people!"

Despite being allowed to choose her work partners, Lena's face remained flustered. While she was with the two she had hoped to be working with, the Brit was beginning to recall a phrase Aunty Ana liked to recite.

"You know, I think you were becoming a smoke signal yourself with how red you were getting." Emily smirked as she flipped through their textbook.

"Or she could have been used to guide ships through fog." Amelie grinned evilly as she opened her notebook to a blank page.

Burying her face into the table, Lena groaned. 'Be careful what you wish for' smirked the little Ana in the Brit's mind. "If you're done picking on me I think we have some work to do."

 

* * *

 

"How are you feeling today Genji?"

The adolescent in question gave a relaxed sigh. "Much better then last week sensei."

Zenyatta's hands were neatly folded on his lap, the Omnic monk hovering in the air as his legs were in the lotus position. "Would you say that you have completely moved on from your stepfather's ordeal?"

A beat passed, Genji swallowing. "...not entirely."

"With what I know of your history, may I venture to say that life experiences are a significant factor?"

"...neither of us were ready for this." Genji stretched his lean form over the couch, the student counsellor hovering nearby along with his necklace of Harmony Orbs as a slew of nightmares crawled into the Japanese youth's mind. "Not so much in practical skill, but what this kind of life does to your mind."

"Hardships such as yours would crush a boy of lesser strength." Zenyatta mused.

"It's not my pain that I'm worried about..." Genji closed his eyes as he saw the face that haunted his memories, dreams of a life that was lost like the falling petals of cherry blossoms.

"Your soul has been clouded Genji." With a wave of his hand, one of the golden Harmony Orbs drifted through the air towards the student. "May I...?"

"Of course, sensei."

The Orb of Harmony floated towards Genji, the gold sphere hovering above the boy's head before slowly tracing down his body. Zenyatta clenched his hand into a fist, the Orb halting above Genji's chest. "The chakra in your heart has been blocked."

"Why?" Genji was fairly certain he knew the answer, but Zenyatta had an unusually calming voice.

"Grief." Zenyatta answered, his voice echoing in the black depths of Genji's vision as he kept his eyes closed. "You mourn the loss of your family."

The boy saw his brother in his mind's eye, eyes as dark and brooding as ever as the Dragon sought to uphold their family legacy. Their father appeared, staunch and stern as he was infamously known for, but the rare grin that only his sons ever saw curling his lips upwards. "It is true that you have lost much at a young age." Zenyatta's voice echoed in the vision like the gentle breezes of autumn. "Losses that in a perfect world, no one should be dealt."

Genji saw the sad smile of his father, a once proud and strong man in his death bed as the light faded from his eyes, his grin not once faltering. He saw his brother reaching for the katana that was meant for him as punishment for his gallivanting and the conflict in Hanzo's stormy eyes.

He watched his brother rush forwards with the Dragon Blade at the ready towards the Yakuza thugs, Hanzo betraying everything he believed in to save his brother.

"But love is an energy." Zenyatta's voice brought brighter colors to the dark vision. "Your father and brother may be gone in body, but not in heart."

Genji watched Jesse stumble over his feet as he tried his hand at ninjitsu while Amelie laughed. He watched Sombra sneak the whoopie cushion Genji had saved up for onto Amelie's chair. He watched Gabriel hand him the bowl of oonagi he spent days trying to perfect for his eleventh birthday.

A small smile contorted Genji's face.

"No matter how far you go or how long you live, the love your father and brother had for you will not wane." Zenyatta finished as he recalled the Harmony Orb.

Sitting upright, Genji wiped his damp eyes. "Thank you sensei."

 

* * *

 

Something Jesse knew well was that wearing a ten gallon hat was a surefire way to attract attention, not all of it good. The farming jokes and hillbilly jests did grate on his mind, but Jesse was at least able to keep his cool with little things like that. However, the second someone touched 'Bessie' in a hostile way, something in the boy went off.

Most likely emotional dynamite considering that he was taking a swing at a teenager twice his size while shouting Spanish profanity with the thickest Texan drawl outside the school with no teacher in sight or earshot.

"Awww look, 'lil Jesse thinks he's scary." One of the pricks sneered as he clutched the dark brown oilskin stetson that Jesse was more then willing to punch his teeth out for.

"He's cute when he gets all riled up." Another spat as he shoved the boy back.

Stumbling, Jesse kept his footing. He was no lightweight, but the jocks packed more muscle then him and he didn't have Genji backing him up. Five of them were between him and his hat though, so naturally all logical reasoning went out the window as he attempted to tackle one of them at the waist.

The teen was pushed back a few steps to his surprise, but he quickly socked Jesse in the face which sent the boy stumbling back again. Blood leaked out of Jesse's nose as more bruises appeared, but he did not seem in the mood to back down in the slightest.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" One of them darkly chuckled.

As if on cue, Jesse dashed forwards to deal several punches to one of the bullies' stomach. While he winded the jock, Jesse felt a fist collide with his ribs which sent him reeling back. "Dumb shit."

There was a crunch of gravel underneath boots, Jesse picking out an accented voice that sounded like a girl's, one about Amelie's age. "You'd better back off."

"Oohhhh, kitty's got claws."

Wiping the blood out of his eyes, Jesse looked up to see Fareeha, the girl cracking her knuckles. "Give him his hat back or I'll make you."

"C'mon sugar, no need for that." One of the creepier ones edged towards her with a lecherous grin. "How about I show you a good time instead?"

"Sounds good." Fareeha smirked. "My idea of a good time is putting people like you into traction."

Right on cue her boot collided with the creep's crotch with such force it sent him several feet backwards and most likely prevented him from ever having children. Immediately raising her arms into a fighting stance, Fareeha expertly weaved and sidestepped the bullies' sloppy punches and dealt precise hits to their faces and stomachs that made one of them vomit as he collapsed in agony.

By the time she finished pummeling the five of them, Fareeha rolled her neck as she stepped over most of the writing bodies on the ground. There was a satisfying pained yelp as she stepped on the creep, Jesse leaning on his knees. "Thanks." The boy wheezed.

"You need to see Ziegler." Fareeha sharply remarked as she examined the cuts and bruises on Jesse's face.

"The asshat with Bessie rabbited." Jesse fumed.

"You. Doctor. NOW." Fareeha channeled her inner Ana, her glare tempering Jesse's anger as he nodded with resignation.

 

* * *

 

Dean was fuming as he stomped across the field, his prize tightly clutched in his hand. He hated the stupid cowboy hat, his girlfriend would gush about how 'cute it looked on him'. Glaring at the crumpled hat in his hand, Dean spat on it before someone bumped into him. "Watch it dumbass!"

"Up yours ya wanker!" An Australian accent hotly replied.

Rolling his eyes, Dean resumed walking. That freak from down under always grated his nerves.

"Hold on!" The Australian called out as he ran towards Dean. "Where didja get that?" He pointed to the hat that Dean was crushing in his grip.

"Fuck off." Dean sneered.

"Wait..." Jamie's golden eyes glinted with a fiery venom as the gears began to click. "You bastard..."

Throwing the hat onto the ground, Dean sauntered towards Jamie. "What're you gonna do about it?"

"Do ya really wanna know?" Jamie bared his unnaturally sharp teeth, his golden canine glimmering in the afternoon light.

"Bite me." Dean was quick to jab Jamie's stomach before punching the lanky blonde's face which sent the Aussie reeling backwards. One more punch to Jamie's gut and he collapsed in a heap, Dean snorting. "Figures."

Blood dripped down Jamie's long chin as he got back up, a terrifyingly wild look in his golden eyes. His lips curled into a mad grin that made Dean recoil, the Australian's fingers and eye twitching. "Mate, bloody magpies hit harder then ya."

"Fuck you!" Dean yelled as he took another swing at Jamie, but this time his arm was intercepted by the Australian's robotic arm in a vise-like grip that made a sickening crack.

Bending the prick's arm too far in the wrong direction, Jamie's grin grew as he heard the pained yelps from Dean's lips. His flesh hand made a sharp punch to Dean's throat which silenced his cries to gasps as the bully fell to the ground. Crouching over Dean's thrashing legs, Jamie grabbed one and punched its knee with his bionic arm hard enough to elict the sound of snapping bone before doing the same to the other leg.

Leaving Dean to writhe on the ground, Jamie leaned down so the reek of a week's worth of garlic in his breath made the prick gag. "You fuck with me or me mates again, I'll show ya the Aussie way of fightin'."

Rearing to his full height, Jamie strode over to the discarded hat and scooped it up. Crossing the field, there was no sign of the beat up pickup truck so he sat down on the grassy ground next to the road and he tried to wipe the saliva off the ink inscription on the inside of the hat that read 'Happy Birthday Jesse, Love Dad'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some clarification; Jesse is actually quite capable in hand to hand combat, but when he's royally pissed off he tends to throw finesse and patience out the window which makes him more predictable.
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Jack got Lucio and Hana old school tech because he refuses to let them access the internet  
> -Jamie is quite proficient at punching birds due to Swooping Season in Australia  
> -Sojiro Shimada was a ruthless Yakuza boss yet caring father and while he was not pleased with Genji's carefree attitude, he forbade any form of disciplinary action beyond his own (which was a stern scolding that would actually get through to the boy). However when he died, the Shimada elders took the opportunity to try and deal with Genji the old fashioned way and tasked Hanzo with the assassination. Unlike the official canon, Hanzo refused to kill his brother and fought the Shimada members to allow Genji to escape.


	9. Rainy Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another day in their lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all I am sorry for the long waits between chapter updates. I live in a country with poor internet and I keep getting blindsided by life.
> 
> I will update as frequently as I can. There may be waiting periods, but I love this fic so I WILL finish it

Angela sighed as she took a look at Jess's bruised face. "You almost made it to the record." Perched above her desk was a poster that read; 'Days since last visit from the Reyes family' with a record of 4.

The young cowboy bitterly chuckled, his mop of brown hair swaying with the movement, the blonde doctor noticed something off with his apperance. Besides the obvious the day old bruises and stitched cuts.

"Jesse..." She started slowly and there was a flash of concern in her eyes. "Where's your hat?"

Jesse stiffened noticably at the comment but refused to answer.

"...Is it the reason behind you got into a fight?" She tried gently and the teen let out an irritated sigh.

"Some pricks decided to be even more of a dick than usual and nicked my Bessie." He finally snapped and Angela's eyes narrowed.

"Is this... 'Prick' still with us?" She asked and recieved the smallest of smirks for her efforts.

"Nsh, 'Reeha got 'em pretty good. I think one of them's gonna find out what it's like t' be a eunuch pretty soon, actually."

Angela snorted despite herself and tried to keep the amusing image out of her head. She was not privy to the history of each Reyes kid, but she knew enough to see that Jesse's hat meant much more to him than a simple accesory. And her tolerance for bullying had never been that high on a good day, much less when one of her own had been invloved.

She blinked.

One of her...own? Since when had that become a thought?

Angela shook her head. A metaphorical slip of the tongue. She had more important things to focus on. Clearing her throat, the blonde doctor composed herself and pulled out her first-aid kit. "You know the drill."

Jesse sighed again, but managed to contain his fidgeting enough so that he was almost still. Carefully, Angela conducted her preliminaries and felt her brow furrow as she examined each injury. By the time she'd finished, a half hour had passed and she was considerably concerned. "It doesn't look all that great Jesse." She stated honestly. "The cut along your cheek is deeper then I thought, it will leave a nasty scar. The bones in your nose have been heavily damaged too, I'm not sure if they'll completely heal. And don't even get me started on the bruising."

The cowboy's face fell and he shrugged unenthuiastically. "Yeah... Thanks doc."

Angela felt her heart pull. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah yeah, it's just..." Jesse ran a hand through his haiar, an action he seemed uncomfortable with when he pulled a face. "Dad's pissed I lost a fight. Gonna be running laps the rest of my life, at this rate." He tried to hide it, but Angela knew this was mostly about the loss of his hat.

Her face softened, and just as she was opening her mouth to say something comforting there was a sudden, loud knock at the doorway. Both parties looked at it in mild surprise before Angela called out "Come in--"

The door busrt open like it couldn't contain itself and on the other side was Sombra, a huge grin on her face as she held something behind her hands. "Sombra? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in school?"

"I finished." She said simply and grinned widely, "Besides, I had something important to do!" Trotting over to a confused Jesse, Sombra was almost jittering with barely-containted excitment before she held her hands out with a florish. "Ta-dah~!"

In her hands, was Bessie.

The effect was instantauous.

Jesse entire posture lit up at the sight and he was grinning just as broadly as his sister as he scooped up his beloved hat. "Bessie! Where-- How--?"

"Jaime got it!" The small girl explained, and the trio finally looked up at the still-open doorway. A small crowd consisting of Fareeha, Amelie, Genji and Jaime had formed just outside the doorway and all of them were grinning as they watched Jesse get reuinited with his hat. When his name was mentioned, the Aussie waved with a cheerful laugh.

"Weren't any trouble mate! Gotta admit though, there's a bit o' dirt on there I wasn't quite able ta' clean out..."

"DUDE, I could KISS you right now I don't care." Jesse interrupted and there was a chorus of chuckles and snorts. Pushing himself to his feet, Jesse managed to get halfway across the room where Jaime met him, and the cowboy pulled the lanky blonde into a hug of manly proportions.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, mate."

There was a chorus of 'awwws' from all the females, -to which Jesse responded with a 'shut up!'- before Jaime scratched his head. "Listen, I gotta head back t' the shop, but if ya' ever need anything lemme' know. Ta' mates, I'll see ya around!"

To say that Jesse looked stoked was an understatement as he ran his hands over his hat. Peering over his shoulder, Angela could see a a large tear in the brim. "I can stitch that up for you after my shift if you'd like."

"Aww, thanks Angel." Jesse placed Bessie on the desk next to him.

Jotting a few notes onto her notepad, Angela nodded. "And I've finished the examination, just check back in 2 days, ja?"

"Sure thing!" Jesse leapt to his feet, his siblings halfway out the door.

"You should come to our place tonight!" Sombra suddenly called out, Angela's head tilting.

"...pardon?"

"You can give Jesse his fixed hat back and try Papa's cooking!" The youngest continued before the eldest put a hand over her mouth.

"Now, now Sombra, you know Papa hates it when people randomly show up for food at our door." Amelie chided.

"Yeah, remember those Jehovah's witnesses?" Genji added.

Angela owlishly blinked. "What on earth were Jehovah's witnesses doing asking for food?"

"That's actually a funny story--" Jesse managed to speak before Amelie's hand was clamped over his mouth.

Shaking her head, Angela sighed. "I'll pop over to give Jesse his hat back, but I won't stay too long."

 

* * *

 

 

"Thanks for letting us stay as long as we did. Sorry it was more then a week--"

"We enjoyed having you over Jack, no need to apologize."

While the rennovations took longer then expected, the results were worth the wait. The large house was bare and full of packed boxes, but Jack knew that him and his children would make a home out of it soon. "So would you and Fareeha like to stay for about 3 weeks and we call it even?"

Ana chuckled. "A tempting offer, but I must decline."

"There's so much space!" Hana squealed as she bolted down the hall, her hands in the air.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack knelt down to catch his youngest and immediately lifted her to his hip. "No running in the house, remember?"

"But it's so big!" Hana huffed.

Gently lowering her back onto her feet, Jack motioned to the large backyard. "That's why we have a big yard now! You can run around all you want outside."

"Yay!" Hana zipped right out the door and began running all over the backyard.

"Much nicer place then your last one." Ana remarked as she examined what would one day be the living room.

"It wasn't bad, just wasn't meant for a family." Jack retorted.

"You were living in a closet."

"It was a bachelor's pad!"

"The size of a closet."

"It was bigger then that!"

Their argument was interrupted when they saw Lucio and Hana on the verandah out the backdoor, both of them covered in mud and dirt. Jack's eye twitched as he muttered, "Not even two minutes..."

"I found a frog Dad!" Lucio proudly held up the amphibian in question, a small slimy green creature that could comfortably fit in Jack's palm. "Can I keep him, please?"

"You're on your own." Ana smirked before heading upstairs.

The new Morrison residence was rather large, but considering that Jack had three kids more then justified the size. Ana headed into the room Jack said would be his and noted the wide range of vision of the front yard from his window with only the left as a blindspot. The large tree and hedges would offer cover for an attacker, but they would also be ideal for hiding barbwire.

Shaking her head, Ana clucked her tongue. "We're retired."

The crinkling of plastic and rustling of cardboard drew Ana's attention, the ex-soldier following her hearing to one of the bedrooms to see Lena hunched over an open box. "What are you looking for?"

"Something." Lena replied quickly as she carefully removed a large bass trophy before digging deeper into the box.

"How enlightening." Ana drly remarked as she noted the ideal sniping perch that the room's window offered for the backyard.

Pulling out a bubblewrapped picture, Lena gave a triumphant "Aha!"

Ana's good eye lit up as she recognized the frame, her lips curling into a smile. "I remember that."

Unwrapping the picture, Lena and her godmother looked at the photo. Jack was sitting on a couch and appeared to be in pain if the baby Hana yanking his beard was any sign, Ana sitting next to him and laughing. Lena was on the floor and trying not to laugh as well while a younger Lucio was seated on her lap.

"It's not a home without this picture." Lena remarked.

 

* * *

 

There was so much on her mind, it was giving the redhead another headache. Sipping from her bottle of Screech rum, Moira sighed as she looked out the window at the greying skies. The wind was beginning to pick up, the leaves rustling as an icy chill coiled through the air outside.

Rubbing her temples, Moira looked down at the photo album that was open on the table. She could recall so many of these pictures being taken from the photo of her eight year old self tackling a boy a few years older then her to the black almost gothic-looking dress she wore to her homecoming when her hair was still long.

So many things she wanted to speak of, but not a single syllable would ever come out.

Pinching the corner of the page with her gloved hand, Moira flipped it to a large photo of her usual gaunt self with a few others around her, most notable of which was a man with the same fiery red hair as her and appeared a few years older, a swaddled baby safely tucked in his arms. They were standing in a church, one that had come to haunt the coroner's dreams as she glanced down at the tanline around her left ring finger.

Shaking her head, Moira dragged her thin fingers down her face. Misery had plagued her family for nearly two decades now, the redhead's mind all too eager to dredge up the painful memories. Unscrewing the lid to the bottle, Moira took deep gulps of rum that stung her throat and numbed her mind.

She had to speak to Emily, had to tell her so many things before she drank herself to death.

The sound of the front door's lock clicking cut through the coroner's stupor, Moira getting to her feet as she easily made her way to the foyer. The lack of swaying and her unaffected balance was rather worrying, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She had to have this talk with her goddaughter.

Opening her mouth to speak, Moira's voice died when she saw her niece practically lurch into the house. "I'm okay, just...tired." The teenager greeted as she unceremoniously dropped her bag onto the floor.

Quickly damming her storm of emotions, Moira leaned down to examine the black circles under Emily's eyes. "Did you have sufficient sleep last night?"

Shaking her head, Emily slowly peeled her coat off. "Had...homework..."

Sighing, Moira lifted her niece into a fireman's lift and started heading up the staircase. Rather worringly there was no protest or irritated response from the teenager, Moira carefully taking her niece to her room. Lying Emily on her bed, the coroner heard the soft snores from the younger redhead.

She had so much to say, so much she wanted to say.

Quietly slipping out of the room, Moira retrieved her bottle of Screech and grabbed a bottle of Tullamore Dew before heading to her room and locking the door. Taking deep gulps, Moira felt cold tears crawl down her cheeks as the burning liquor slid down her throat.

She had too much on her mind.

 

* * *

 

While the wind had died down to a gently autumn breeze, the cold rain hadn't let up in the slightest. The pattering of water on glass echoed through the garage, Mako closing the hood to his latest order. Cracking his neckbones back into place, there was a metallic clinking as the giant began unfastening the belt to his toolpouch. Over his shoulder he could hear a conversation in German, Brigitte using her closed toolbox as a seat with her phone to her ear.

"Roigh, so jawboxes are locked up 'long with the toolboxes, just got the belts left." Jamie listed off as he unzipped his black coveralls to his waist and tied the sleeves around his hips.

"Crack open the cooler." Mako flatly ordered as he wiped his hands off on a rag.

Cracking a split-tooth grin, Jamie cackled. "Sure thing mate!"

As Jamie took his usual loping steps towards the large fridge in the corner, Brigitte slid her phone back into her pants' pocket. "My uncle said he'd come by to pick me up in a little while, traffic's murder thanks to the weather."

Mako rolled his eyes as he took a seat on his stack of tires. "Only a few drops of rain and everyone forgets to drive."

Jamie returned with a metal flagon in one hand and a selection of metal cans in the other, the lanky blonde handing the flagon to Mako before nearing Brigitte, a steely 'tmp' accenting every step he took. "Ya thirsty mate?"

"Parched." Brigitte answered, the Swede accepting the Cola can the Aussie offered with a 'thank you'.

Popping the flagon's lid open, Mako savored the bitter aroma of lager. "How'd you end up in Canada?" The Maori mechanic asked before taking a swig.

"Luck and chance really." Brigitte replied as she cracked the can open. "Papa was a field mechanic during the Crisis for the UN's Blue Berets and was assigned to the...88th Mechanized I think it was?" Confusion crinkled Brigitte's brow before she shook her head. "Anyways, they ended up operating in North America after Scandinavia was stable and Papa took a liking to Vancouver Island, especially once the family's home went up."

"Crikey." Jamie commented as he opened his third can of ginger ale.

"No one was hurt too badly fortunetely." Brigitte hurriedly added. "Not long after Papa found a nice property for sale on the edge of town and him and Mama agreed to move here." Taking a sip from her drink, Brigitte looked at the lanky Australian. "What about you? I thought Australia was a wasteland after it's Omnium was destroyed."

"Oh it is." Jamie answered all too calmly. "Grew up roigh' in the middle of a desert fulla nothin' but Junkers, snakes, and wombats."

Brigitte blinked. "Then...how'd you get here?"

Jamie shrugged. "Can't remember too much, just that I went hoonin' across the Outback to Sydney and jumped onta the first ship I saw."

"If you don't mind me asking...how did you and Mako meet then?"

"Think somethin' hit the ship I was on, sent me careenin' into the big ol' blue. Nex' thing I know, I'm on a beach with the big man." Jamie jabbed his robotic thumb at the goliath in question as he took a sip from his eigth can.

That explained so much to the Swedish girl. "Do you remember much of the trip across the Pacific?"

"Jus' that it was not five star service." It was far from comedy gold, but Jamie's hysterical laughter was so contagious that Brigitte couldn't help but laugh a bit too, Mako making an amused snort.

A sound akin to a foghorn rang out, Brigitte's eyes lighting up. "Ah, my uncle's here."

Jamie whistled as he looked out the open garage door. "Hooley dooley, I ain't seen anythin' so chrome!"

Mako had to admit that he hadn't seen a car that blended rough and tumble military nature with style and class since the Batmobile. The car was huge with four wheels at the back and two at the front with bodywork that was reminiscent of the kind of cars world leaders drove in the 1940's. Painted gunmetal grey and with suspension that held its underside half a foot above the asphalt, it would've looked at home at a royal wedding or in the midst of a warzone.

But what Mako appreciated the most was the guttural snarls of a V10 motor and the intake vent of a supercharger protruding from the hood.

"Same time tomorrow?" Brigitte asked as she scooped her toolbox under her arm.

Nodding, Mako watched her climb into the car and caught sight of the driver. At first the mechanic thought her uncle was overcompensating, but one look at the bigger then life man behind the wheel and Mako nodded approvingly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope thi was worth the wait
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Ana's ringtone for Reinhardt is 'Gaston' from Beauty and the Beast  
> -Genji has a first edition holographic Charizard card kept in an airtight locked box  
> -Moira has an absurdly fast metabolism And can eat all the junkfood she wants and never puts on weight


	10. Falling Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippets in their lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it

Moira's job was not one for the squeamish or faint of heart. She was up to her elbows in human entrails virtually all day, the coppery reek of blood and 'swwf' of her thread sewing up incisions forming a morbid tune. Finishing up her latest cadaver, the lanky redhead sighed as she snipped the excess thread of her stitches. Taking care to discard her operating mask and gloves, Moira took a seat behind her desk and practically flopped into her chair.

Kicking her feet onto the desk, Moira reached for the hip flask in her pocket and promptly took a hearty swig. Staring at the ceiling, the Irishwoman allowed one of her arms to dangle at her side as she leaned back. She honestly wanted to break out her cigarillo case, but the case Jack and Ana caught left her backlogged with corpses to examine.

Taking another sip, Moira lazily glanced at her phone's screen. Sighing, the tall woman opened her desk's drawer to hide her flask before getting to her feet. Straightening her dark violet necktie and black blouse, the ivory labcoat over them followed before running her long fingers through her short red hair. Folding her arms behind her back, Moira adopted the face she usually had at work.

Opening the lab's door, Jack made a nervous gulp as he looked at the coroner. It didn't matter that the sinister grin on Moira's face with the most menacing lighting possible and outright predatory posture was her usual look, it never failed to startle everyone who had to see the mortician. "You had something O'Deorain?"

"I had made a most venomous discovery." Moira's voice was cold enough to freeze the blood, her words made all the more chilling with her borderline evil grin. "Tox screen came back positive for heroin as expected, but there was a rather unique twist to the chemical cocktail." Sharply retrieving her PDA, Moira brought up a list of chemicals and held it up for Jack to read.

Squinting, Jack eventually shook his head. "I don't even know how to pronounce these."

Rolling her mistmatched eyes, Moira sighed. "The opiates were laced with King Cobra venom. His heart would've stopped moments after he shot himself up."

"Well, this is one unpleasant case." Jack muttered.

Flicking at her PDA's screen, Moira placed the device back into her pocket. "I've sent you and Amari a list of all the places one could obtain a King Cobra through legal means." Folding her arms behind her, Moira slightly lowered her head, jagged shadows crossing her thin features.

"...thanks O'Deorain." Jack turned on his heel and left the lab at a slightly faster pace then when he entered.

Hearing his footsteps echo down the hall, Moira released her held breath as she tiredly resumed her position at her desk. Retrieving her flask, the lanky woman took another swig as her dull gaze was settled on the ceiling again.

 

* * *

 

"...and should your calculations be accurate, then you will know that X equals 18." Satya underlined the answer on the white board before sharlpy turning on her heel to face her class. "Do you understand the process?"

Mercifully, the majority of her students nodded or made affirmative responses. The shrill ringing of the bell echoed through the room, none of the teenagers so much as closing their workbooks.

"Page 19 is due tomorrow. That will be all." Watching her students stuff their exercise books into their binders, Satya turned her attention to easily the messiest and most unruly student she ever had. "Jamison, a moment."

Sighing, Jamie approached his math teacher. His undershirt was smeared with oily black stains as usual. "Yeh Miss?"

Satya pursed her lips. "I feel that it is pertinent that I remind you that you only need to complete page 19, not half of the book."

"But it's too bloody easy!" Jamie whinged. "I don' git why everyone's stumped on all this, it's not that hard!"

Pinching her nose, Satya sighed. "I have to provide sufficient shoolwork for all my students throughout the year and I cannot do that with you if you continue to work several chapters ahead of the rest of the class."

Running his metallic fingers through his sooty blonde hair, Jamie groaned. "There's gotta be somethin' ya can do! Cos this kinda work..." He motioned to the whiteboard's equations that he solved in mere seconds. "...it ain't that hard!"

Snapping her fingers, Satya looked up at her student with a look of revelation. "I may have something that for you..." Briskly striding towards one of her filing cabinets, Satya was quick to find the exercise book she had sought in the correct spot as usual. "Try and solve 5 pages from this."

Accepting the book, Jamie's golden eyes widened. "This is 2 years ahead of me grade..."

"Then it may provide sufficient neurological simulation." Satya replied flatly. "Complete any 5 pages you wish and bring it back to me tomorrow for me to mark."

Nodding, Jamie stuffed the book into his duct-taped leather satchel. "Cheers."

 

* * *

 

As the last bell of the day rang, Winston nodded to his class. "Alright, all of you have a good weekend!" Returning the waves and smiles in full, Winston began filing the many papers on his desk before the rapping of knuckles on wood drew his attention to the door. "Ah, Ms. Oxton! Wasn't expecting you."

"Consider it a surprise visit!" The Brit gave vigorous jazz hands as she bounded into the room, the gorilla chuckling.

"Well I have some time before I head home." Adjusting his glasses, Winston placed a small grey rock onto his stack of papers to keep them in place. "Anything I can help you with?"

Scratching the back of her head, Lena nervously chuckled. "I uh...needed some help for my homework from Ms. Zhou."

Winston's brow rose a few centimeters. "The Ice Queen is at again is she?" Lena immediately threw both hands over her mouth, her lean form trembling as she made a muffled snort. Leaning in conspiratorally, Winston's voice lowered to a whisper. "That's her nickname in the teacher's lounge, you did not hear it from me."

Nodding, Lena take several deep breaths through her nose as her urge to laugh calmed. When she pried her hands off her face, the brunette only made a cheeky giggle. "Even the other teachers...?"

Sagely nodding, Winston took a seat in the tire that hung from the ceiling as his chair. "So, what's the assignment?"

Opening her bag, Lena recounted the lesson to her science teacher before the two started reviewing the pages. Minutes ticked by as the ruffling of paper and chatter of the two continued, the gears beginning to click together in Lena's mind. Winston could almost here them, the gorilla smiling as he watched the dedicated furrow in the teenager's brow. She really did not know when to hit the brakes for effort, a rare trait in the world.

"Ohhh, I see!" Lena crowed. "That's really it?"

"From what I can deduce, yes." Winston nodded.

Closing her workbook, Lena stuffed it back into her backpack before checking the clock on the wall. "Blimey, only took us nine minutes! Would've taken me an ice age to sort this out by myself!"

"Don't sell yourself short, you're more brilliant then you think." Winston remarked as he plucked his glasses off to clean them. "Perhaps not in the fields of biological sciences and world history, but you show remarkable drive and a natural talent for mathematics."

Almost immediately Lena's face became a fog light. "What? No! No, I mean, I like numbers, sure, -but come on! Isn't 'natural talent' a little much? There's heaps of kids in here smarter than me!"

"And how do you measure intelligence Lena?" The gorilla commented and the Brit furrowed her brows in thought.

"Weellll, isn't it the kids in glasses and suspenders are smarter than the kids who-" She glanced at her t-shirt depicting Wilma Flinstone riding a rocketship with rainbow colored exhaust. "-Aren't?"

Winston couldn't stop his chuckle. Lena's logic always had, and always would, continue to amuse him in it's nonsensical way. Smiling at his student's confused face, Winston adjusted his glasses with a knuckle before clearing his throat. "Inteligence is not measure the same way things like mass and volume are, nor is it measure by a person's 'fashion sense.' There are many realms in which a person can excel in a subject while lacking in another. Take Jamison, for example. The lad can solve complicated formulas beyond his years with ease, and yet he still struggles to comprehend the exact science behind shoelaces." Lena cast a subtle glance at her velcro fastened shoes at that.

"My point is," Winston continued, "Is that just because you may not appear or even think to be intelligent, that does not make you any lesser than that of Einstein."

Lena's face went slack with a kind of stunned awe and Winston smiled cheerfully. "You have a great potential Lena, and it is my sincere desire that you pursue a career worthy of your talent. Now run along, I'm sure your friends are wondering about you."

Blinking a few times to break her trance, Lena stuttered a handful of 'thank you's and 'you're too nice for this world' and one 'HOLY CRAP I hope they didn't leave me because they TOTALLY would!' before hurrying off with a face pinkened by compliments and pride.

Swinging in his tire comfortably, Winston pulled out a travel-sized jar of peanut butter from his pocket and popped open the lid, looking out his window. He's met a lot of remarkable people during his life, and while those at his old job were certainly outstanding by their own rights they had always lacked a certain something that Lena seemed to posess with uncontainable enthusiasm. He smiled at he pictured the brunette's cheery fae and took a bite of his snack.

She was gonna go far in life, and he couldn't wait to see it.

 

* * *

 

When Reinhardt invited her to the gym, Fareeha's first thought was that she would be pumping iron with him while her Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden tracks blasted from the stereo. Instead she found herself in the Downward Dog pose along with the colossal German while listening to the soothing melody of strings from one of Bach's symphonies.

Admittedly, yoga was a lot nicer then she thought.

"Do you feel the relieving of tension in your joints?" Reinhardt's voice was unusually calm and quiet as he displayed a flexiblity most people in his age gap lacked.

"Yep..." Fareeha's hair beads jangled as the two carefully lied down on their stomachs and pushed their chests up while keeping their waists and legs flat along the floor. "...it's quite soothing."

Reinhardt carefully bent himself further back, his spine following without complaint. "I find that it is more important to maintain flexibility in age rather then strength."

"Really?" Fareeha did not expect a concept like that from a man who weighed 200+ pounds in sheer muscle.

"Strength is meaningless if you cannot even move." The giant chuckled.

Holding the pose for a few more moments, Fareeha was just about to slide into the next position when the door to the gym slammed open. Snapping her head up, the 17 year old immediately recognized the familiar red hair and freckled face and the peacful zen-state she'd slipped into disappeared faster than Angela at the mention of her supposed 'crush.'

"Brigitte." She growled and was met with a glower equal to her own.

"Fareeha."

There was a tense moment where the two stared each other down before the Scandinavian suddenly shot forwards. Jumping to her feet, Fareeha straightened just in time to meet Bridgette's charge full on. Grunting at the power in the blow, Fareeha wrapped her arms around Bridgette's waist and slid a foot back, twisting around and using her assailent's momentum to toss Bridgette a few feet away. Stumbling onto the wrestling mat, Brigitte swiftly righted herself before settling into a battle-stance, eyes never leaving Fareeha as she too stepped onto the mat.

"I always knew this moment would come." The Egyptian growled.

Bridgette smriked, "Of course. One could almost say it's our desitny."

"Destiny it maybe, but you will not win this round!"

"Bring it, Bruiser!"

The two let out a battle-cry loud enough to shame bears and charged each other, determined to defeat each other no matter the cost.

Meanwhile, an oblivious Reindhart felt a stiff part of his back give a satisfying POP and he sighed with contentment. Yoga had always been one of his more favourite past times -despite popular belief- as it was one of the few times when he truly felt at peace. Reindhart smiled beneath his beard. "Ahhh. And now, Salutations to the- Fareeha?"

Finally noticing that his young partner was no longer with him, Reindhart looked around in vague confusion before he heard the sound of screaming and finally noticed the duo on the wrestling mat. Fareeha was currently kneeling on the ground as her face progressively reddened thanks to Bridgette's well toned arm holding her neck in a headlock, and both of them were yelling at the top of their lungs, which was probably a poor choice on Fareeha's behalf. It was actually quite the funny sight, and Rreindhart couldn't help the hearty laugh as he watched the two wrestle like a bunch of little kids.

Extremely deadly ones that watched too much WWE, but still.

"I see they're at it again." A Russian-accented voice spoke up and Reindheart was smiling before he even turned around.

"To be young and full of vigor, no?" He replied and Zarya grinned. "Is not so bad though, to have experience and strength on your side either."

"Very true."

The two powerhouses embraced and when they parted Reindhart chuckled. "I believe class is over then." He commented as Fareeha pile-drove Bridgette into a stack of sponges.

"Excellent!" Zarya set her bag off the side and stretched her arms out. "This means we can begin a lesson of our own! What shall it be this time?"

Reindhart lifted his arm by way of response and Zarya smirked again. Clasping hands, the two settled their elbows on a nearby table before flexing by some unspoken command. The wood groaned beneath them as they battled for dominance. Biceps bulged and neither party was willing to give ground until with a sudden SMACK of flesh against table-top Zarya shook her hand out with a chuckle.

"Looks like the win is yours, my friend." She conceeded and Reindhart laughed.

"There will always be another opportunity. NOW!" The German clapped his hands together, "The Course." The Course was a time-honoured tradition between the two Europeans, just like the girls' wrestling match was their time honoured tradition.

Reindhart was quiet as he contemplated today's course with careful consideration. Deciding on something more difficult, Reindhart mentally went over his selected Course one last time before nodding once. "Right! Our Course today shall be 30 pushups followed by 60 inverted crunches and ten minutes on the rowing machines!"

Zarya bobbed her head as Reindhart spoke. "The limit?"

"40 minutes."

She smirked, "Sounds like fun."

 

* * *

 

"...how they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat." Jesse sung as he raked the orange leaves and thatch from the lawn. His breath was visible despite being wrapped up in a slate grey trenchcoat a little too large for him. "Some dance to remember, some dance to forget!"

Clad in his thick and fluffy dark green anorak, Genji joined in as he made a pile of dead leaves. "So I called up the captain! Please bring me my wine!" The adolescent began to use his rake as guitar. "He said we haven't had that spirit here since 1969!"

Kneeling next to the largest leaf pile, Gabriel held a black garbage bag open. Befitting the cooler weather, he sported a black leather greatcoat that went down to his ankles while old work gloves kept his hands warm. "So, what did you want to be this year Sombra?"

Scooping handfuls of leaves up and stuffing them into the bag, Sombra wore a snazzy purple coat with light blue trim along with chunky winter boots. "I wanna be a Reaper like you!"

The confidence she answered with along with her decision made a sharp twang in Gabriel's heart. "...r-really?"

"Yeah!" Sombra beamed. "I wanna be scary and cool like you Papa!"

Releasing his grip on the bag, Gabriel leaned forwards to embrace his daughter. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Ever day!" Sombra chirped as she returned the hug.

The gentle moment passed as the four of them resumed raking the lawn, the afternoon sun beginning to sink. With the last leaf in the bag, Gabriel began tying the fourth garbage bag shut but froze when he looked up to see a familiar face approaching. "Well, didn't expect to see you today Angie."

"I had something I had to drop off." Angela replied as she stepped off of the sidewalk and onto the lawn, a familiar Stetson in her hands.

"I do believe you'll make Jesse the happiest kid under the sun." Gabriel remarked as he observed the stitching pattern used for the tear in the brim. Sewn up like a stab wound.

"So, what sort of house of horrors do you have in mind this year?" Angela asked.

"That's a surprise." Gabriel teased.

"Come onnnnn, surely you can give me a hint?" Angela batted her eyes a bit.

He knew that she was only joking, but Gabriel had to admit that she looked simply stunning. Her hair was up in its usual messy ponytail while a worn dark grey Dakota jacket with her beige scarf around her neck and with the way she was trying to get him to reveal his Halloween plans early...

It took a moment for Gabriel to wrestle his hormones back into control. "No, I cannot. If you want to see my macabre masterpiece, come by to see it with your own eyes."

"Is that a date?" Angela smirked.

Immediately the air turned a few degrees colder.

Why would you say that?! A little Angela dressed as an angel screeched in the doctor's mind, another Angela clad in a devil's attire grinned. Come now, there's definitely chemistry here! I'm sure Gabriel is into it.

What does that mean?! A little Gabriel dressed in billowing black robes with a mask like an owl's skull yelped, another Gabriel wearing a sharp white suit was similarily hysterical. I don't know!!

"I-I mean, like a friendly date." Angela hurriedly added, the devil on her shoulder rolling her eyes.

Shakily grinning, Gabriel nodded. "Y-yeah, something like that."

The two nervously chuckled before the front door creaked open, Sombra bolting across the lawn. "Angel! Are you staying for dinner?"

That raised one of Gabriel's eyebrows. "Staying for dinner?"

"Your daughter asked me to stay for supper with your family when I came by to drop off Jesse's hat." Angela answered, the slightest hints of pink in her pale cheeks.

At first, Gabriel gave a long and measured stare that kept changing between his daugher and the doctor. Eventually he broke into a chuckle as he ruffled Sombra's messy braid. "Well I don't see why not! You hungry Angie?"

"J-ja." The blonde stammered as she waved her hand. "B-but I don't want to impose--"

"You won't be!" Gabriel's lips curled into one of his rare smiles. "C'mon, you're here now and supper's pretty much ready. Whatta ya say?"

Taking a few deep breaths to calm her backflipping heart, Angela nodded. "Well it would be rude of me to decline."

"Yey!" Sombra threw her hands into the air as she bolted back into the house, her father and babysitter following.

Kicking her boots off and hanging her jacket in the closet, Angela felt a rather strong desire to run her hands through Gabriel's long black hair as he released it from its ponytail. He looked rather dashing with the long and wavy ebon hair that cascaded just below his neck in the most alluring way--

Get a hold of yourself woman! A little Angela in a labcoat and safety goggles yelled.

Gabriel wore his black Darth Vader oven gloves as he carefully lifted the iron pan from the oven. Placing it on the stovetop, Gabriel carefully examined the bacon that protruded and nodded with satisfaction upon seeing it cooked to a most tasteful shade of crispy brown. "Dinner's ready!"

Genji and Jesse took up one side of the table while Amelie and Sombra were opposite of them, the table set with plates and cutlery while a metal wire cooling rack was placed in the middle. Turning around to see Angela, Genji immediately jumped to his feet. "My apologies Ms. Ziegler! We didn't know you were coming."

"I didn't either." Angela nervously laughed.

Jesse and his brother jogged to the kitchen to obtain another plate, more cutlery, and a clean glass. Setting them at one end of the table, Angela thanked the boys before taking a seat. "What's for dinner Papa?" Sombra asked as the man in question approached the table.

"With all the vegetables we've been eating, we deserve something nice..." Gabriel peeled the foil off to reveal eight rolled up tortillas with bacon, minced meat, pulled pork, onions, and molten cheese stuffing them to the point that they needed a 7-inch skewer just to keep them wrapped.

"MEAT TORNADOS!!" Jesse and Sombra whooped.

Angela gawked at the dish. It looked tasty, but she did not know it was humanly possible to stuff so much meat into a single serving. It was if Gabriel had wrapped an entire butcher's shop in each tortilla and she knew that she'd be hitting the gym to burn all the calories that this dinner would no doubt dump on her body with wild abandon.

Serving herself one of the Meat Tornadoes, Amelie sliced hers in half and gave the second piece to her sister who happily dug into it. Jesse was messily devouring his like a rabid kraken in an orphanage while Genji calmly ate his serving one forkful at a time. The table fell quiet as the adults started eating too, the only sound being the clinking of cutlery and chewing of food.

Clearing his mouth of any food, Gabriel finally spoke. "Everyone enjoying supper?" Hearing varying sounds of enjoyment from around the table, he smiled and resumed eating. Stealing a glance at the beautiful woman across the table, Gabriel found himself unable to look away. Admittedly he had the odd erotic fantasy or two about some of the attractive women who he saw, but every time he looked at Angela...

The doctor loudly belched before covering her mouth with a flustered look. "Excuse me." She practically whispered.

Jesse however applauded her. "Ten outta ten!"

Gabriel's gaze was still affixed on Angela, his mind drifting to memories of the many times she looked after his children. She was the only babysitter that looked after them more then one night and had even made surprise visits on birthdays. Aside from him, no one had ever been that affectionate with his kids. He had to admit, that was by far the most endearing trait he ever knew, right next to her perfect smile, loving personality, appreciation for heavy metal, adorable dimples every time she grinned--

"Papa? Are you hypnotized?" Sombra's voice broke through Gabriel's haze and he soon realized that his daughters and Angela noticed his staring.

Nice going dumbass. A Gabriel in a spiked leather outfit snorted while the Gabriel in an ivory suit panicked.

Angela lowered her flustered gaze as she resumed eating at a quicker pace then before, but the red tone Gabriel's face took did not escape her gaze. She wasn't sure why Gabriel would look at her like that considering how often the doctor ran herself ragged. Angela's cobalt eyes looked up at him and she recalled the time he offered to beat up her ex. Admittedly the cheating man-whore deserved a good pummelling, but the doctor could not recall a more sincere offer. He saw she was hurt and his first impulse was to break the kneecaps of whoever wronged her. While archaic, Angela had to admit that it was touching that Gabriel's first impulse was to protect her--

When Amelie spoke, Angela's face turned even redder. Fluent in French, Angela was more then aware of when the teen asked 'are you done undressing our father with your eyes?' and the Swiss woman immediately dropped her fork at the question that went right over everyone else's head.

Gabriel recognized the rather venomous look in his eldest daughter's eyes, a glare she reserved for people she intended to crush. Frowning, Gabriel gave Amelie a cold stare as he racked his mind trying and failing to translate her previous French remark. "Is there anything you'd like to say?"

Amelie's gaze cooled underneath her stepfather's glare. "Non."

Once the two adults finished eating, Angela practically jumped to her feet as she began clearing her dishes. "Well supper was wunderbar, but I really should get going--"

"It's getting dark out Angela, there's bound to be less pleasant people on the buses." Gabriel replied as he followed suit and cleared his own plate and cutlery.

"Nein, it's okay!" Angela nervously laughed as she placed her dishes in the dishwasher. "I can take care of myself--" The doctor immediately walked into the corner of a wall with a sharp yelp of pain.

Grabbing an ice pack, Gabriel immediately applied it to the bruise that was beginning to appear just below Angela's eye. "I'll drive you home."

Holding the ice pack to her face, Angela nodded as she followed Gabriel out of the house. Climbing into the truck, Gabriel helped her into the cab and made sure she was properly seated and buckled in before getting into the driver seat and firing the truck up and began the most awkward drive he had ever been on.

Genji, Amelie, and Sombra watched the pickup truck that headed down the driveway and out down the road. Sombra huffily folded her arms as she glared at her sister. "Why were you so mean to Ms. Ziegler?"

Shaking her head, Amelie sighed as memories of a most unpleasant woman crossed her mind. The woman had ruined nearly every memory Amelie had of France before the Crisis. "No reason you need to worry about."

"It is if you have grievances with the woman who's been looking after us for the last few years." Genji muttered.

Releasing a content sigh once his supper was done, Jesse looked around in confusion. "...where'd Dad and Ms. Ziegler go?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lena can tie her shoes, she's just too lazy to do so
> 
> Headcanons;  
> -Mako is the kinda guy who would have a barbecue party in winter in his garage  
> -Genji and Sombra compete at hide and seek. So far the record goes to Genji for hiding in the fridge for 6 hours  
> -Moira just naturally has an evil smile. Even when she was 4 her smile looked diabolical  
> -When Lena was younger, shed have tea parties for her birthdays. The one year Jack served the tea resulted in Ana driving him to the hospital to pump his stomach  
> -Reinhardt bakes the best cupcakes


	11. All Hallows Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a night of terror tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for making you all wait. Only bright side aside from the fact im updating is that this is the perfect day for this chapter.
> 
> A cookie if you figure out everyone's costume

The night used to have such promise for Gabriel. He loved the last night of October, the SWAT commander carefully applying his facepaint in the bathroom. Once his face was covered in a bony white, he began marking black along the ridges of his skull he could feel through his skin, his mind drifting to last week. He had invited Angela to dinner with his family and she left looking like she had inhaled pepper and was trying not to sneeze.

He hadn't heard from her, the texts he recieved promising further tension.

Once his face had the likeness of a skull, Gabriel washed his hands off in the sink and reached for the rest of his costume. Like much of his wardrobe, the heavy black robes were made by his own hands. Slipping on the sleeveless inner layers, he took time to tie the sash on before he put on the three billowing outer cloaks. He had taken time to unravel patches of each article of his costume, sanding them down and rubbing dust into the fabric until they looked like they were from the wardrobe of a Peter Jackson film trilogy.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Gabriel grinned, a nightmarish sight with his death's head. "I'll get it." Walking towards the front door, the Latino pulled his hood low as he rested his scythe on one of his shoulders. Opening the door, Gabriel allowed a deep and sinister chuckle to escape as he greeted the two kids dressed as superheroes took a step back.

"You are at Death's door." The Reaper's laugh was low and menacing as he held out a handful of candy and gave each child a fair portion, his hands encased in monochrome skeleton gloves. "But you're not ready to cross the threshold."

After thanking him, the two vacated his front porch at a much quicker pace then when they arrived. Not that Reaper could blame them, he had truly achieved a house of horrors with the skeletons he had hanging from the tree, cracked gravestons, and shallow holes dug out in the lawn as if something had clawed out from their graves.

Closing the door, Reaper had steepled fingers as he broke into his sinister laugh. "Papa, I'm trying to study."

Gabriel's face soured as he turned his attention to Amelie. "Look, don't keep your nose in your homework all night, you need to hand out the candy."

"I can handle it Papa." Amelie sighed as she pushed her long indigo hair back behind her ear. She had it out to and it went well with the gothic black dress she wore. It nearly reached the floor but was just loose enough for comfortable walking, the cuff of the sleeves wrapping around her hands like fingerless gloves.

"Thank you Morticia Addams." Reaper bowed his head before turning his face down the hall. "Are my minions ready?"

"Jus' need another minute Dad!" Jesse's voice called out down the hall.

"Can you please help me Ammy?" Sombra's voice echoed.

While his eldest got her feet, Reaper headed out the front door. Recognizing the beat up gas-guzzling pickup truck pulling up in front of his lawn, Reaper walked over, his cloak and robes billowing behind him to give him the appearance of a raven.

"Bloody hell." Emily whistled as she hopped out of the cab. She sported plain dark grey pants and a navy blue turtleneck. "Keep forgetting how much you get into Hallow's Eve."

"It's the best time of the year." Reaper chuckled. Turning his head to the driver, Gabriel's eyes widened at the sight. "You...you kept that outfit?!"

There was the slightest hints of pink in Moira's pale cheeks. "It's actually one of my favorites from you." Underneath the violet blazer that was embroided with DNA strands in golden thread was a plain white dress shirt and electric blue tie but most striking of all was the fact that Moira was wearing a pencil skirt. Dropping just below her knees, it was the same purple shade as her jacket and had the same golden DNA strands.

"...well, glad it still fits." Gabriel commented.

There was a mad cackle as Jamie hopped out, his hair dyed ivory while a pair of welding goggles were over his eyes. "G'day Death!"

Raising an eyebrow, Gabriel was rather impressed with the Aussie's costume. The labcoat was probably one of Moira's with how it's sleeves were rolled up but the boy was tall enough to wear it well. He even jury-rigged some sort of packpack made of car batteries and scrap metal and probably violated every safety code. "Nice to meet you too Dr. Junkenstein."

Breaking into his hyena-like laughter, Jamie conspiratorally rubbed his hands together. "Glad ya know me mate...now to introduce you to my MONSTER!"

There was a rumbling moan from the back of the truck, Gabriel noticing the tarp that had been pulled over something large. It began to rustle as the huge being in the back sat up, revealing a worn and frayed coat with dirt and dust smeared all over. The truck creaked as it stepped onto the road and turned around to face the others. Its skin was a sickly green and it was huge, one hand able to crush Gabriel's skull in its grip. It's head was stitched on and had the likeness of a pig with its snout, short black hair framing the rectangular scalp.

"IT'S ALIVE!" Jamie cackled as he pumped his hands into the air, black rubber gloves adorning them. With his mad laughter and the appearance of a giant patchwork monster, quite a few trick or treaters immediately turned away from the group.

"...damn." Gabriel remarked. "How much green facepaint did you use?"

"Least I'm not reusing the same costume." Mako snorted as he adjusted his buckle.

"We were a bit held up with applying sufficient makeup to cover his upper body." Moira quipped.

That explained a lot. Mako was like a tank, he needed to duck through every door just to get into a house. Glancing at the giant, Gabriel noticed something off about the way he stood. "...you okay?"

"He pulled somethin' 'fore we got ta Moira's." Jamie answered, his foster father grunting.

"S'not that bad." Mako grumbled as he rubbed his back.

"You should still take it easy the rest of the night." Moira retorted coolly. "Minimizing your physical exertions will do you some good."

Mako raised an eyebrow underneath his mask. "...would you want to let him..." He jerked his thumb towards Jamie who was fiddling with the wires that were connected to most likely live car batteries. "...walk around the neighborhood without an adult?"

The Irishwoman immediately had flashbacks of the time Jamie insisted he knew how to use a fireplace. She was silently thankful that both her eyebrows grew back.

"I can go with him." Emily piped up.

"You sure about that?" Gabriel asked. "I'm taking the kids trick or treating, one more wouldn't be a problem."

"Simmer down, ya lost that snail race bet!" Jesse yelped as he bolted across the lawn, the boy dressed in a complete cowboy suit right down to the poncho and leather chaps over his scuffed and spurred cowboy boots.

"That does not mean I cannot kill you!" Genji snapped as he leapt into the air to deliver an airborne sidekick to his brother's side, the youth sporting the comically spiky hairdo of the king of a children's card game.

"Mierda." Gabriel muttered before stomping towards his sons and began spouting angry Spanish as he wrangled his wrestling boys.

"...you sure?" Mako asked the younger redhead.

Emily nodded before she hurriedly added, "So long as Aunty Moira's okay with it."

Running her long fingers through her short hair, Moira cleared her throat. "So long as you don't mind, I am okay with it. I can stay here and maintain observation over Mako's back."

"Alrighty then." Emily turned her attention to Jamie. "Jimmy!"

"Lmm?" Jamie had a D-Volt battery pressed to the tip of his tongue.

Mako buried his face in one palm while Emily carefully pried the battery out of the Aussie's hand. "Ya ready to hit some houses for candy?"

"Hells yeah!" Jamie crowed before taking off down the sidewalk with Emily hot on his heels.

"...bloody Aussie." Mako grunted as he and Moira made their way towards Gabriel's front door, the Reyes patriarch still breaking up the fight between his sons. They opened the door in time to see Amelie in the dining room, the French teen carefully applying makeup to a small cloaked figure.

"And..." Amelie made one last dab with her brush before retracting her hands. "Done." She began packing up her makeup kit. "Now remember, do not touch your face and it would be best to avoid eating or drinking until after you are done, understand?"

"Si!" Sombra chirped before leaning forwards to hug her sister. "Thank you Ammy."

There was a slight pause before Amelie returned the embrace. "Of course my little sister."

Parting, Sombra turned around to reveal her sugar skull painted face to Moira and Mako. "Whoa! You're really scary Senor Mako!"

"You too kid." Mako noted how Gabriel had gone just as far with Sombra's cloak as he did with his own. It looked like a miniature version of one of the Nazgul's cloaks.

"You look gruesomely ghoulish." Moira added.

Sombra grinned as she pumped her fists into the air. "Yes!"

"You'd better hurry along before the boys take all the candy." Amelie added, her sister running to get her toy scythe and an old pillowcase before running out the door.

Pulling her hood on, Sombra rested her scythe on her shoulder just like her father always did. "Papa! I'm ready!"

Turning around, Gabriel felt his heart swell at the tiny Grim Reaper with the sugar skull face. "You look terrifying sweetie!"

Sombra pulled her hood down a bit lower. "Gracias..." Her head tilted. "Um...Papa? Are Jesse and Genji okay?"

"Yeah, they just had a frank exchange of ideas." Reaper answered as he restrained one boy under each arm in a headlock. "You two ready to kiss and make up with each other now?"

"I...think I'm...dying..." Genji wheezed.

Shaking his head, Reaper released the two before retrieving his scythe. Once his younger children were assembled, he gave a sinister laugh. "Now my minions, let us begin our Hallow's Eve reaping!"

"But if we reap everyone, how are we supposed t' get butt-loads of loot?"

"Just let me have this."

 

* * *

 

"C'mon kids, I thought you wanted to get out earlier for more candy!"

There was a chorus of noise as Jack's kids scrambled to get ready and the former commaander chuckled. Holidays were a big deal in the Morrison household, and now more than ever because Hana and Lucio were finally old enough to go trick-or-treating for their very frist time while Lena never failed to be just as excited as her siblings at the prospect of free candy. So much so that he often suspected Lena was the biggest child out of the three of them when it came to sugar (it was actually a little frightening how intense she could be the second any kind of candy came into play). Straightening out his collar, Jack did a once-over in the mirror and smiled apporvingly.

As he did every year, he pulled out his old uniform to wear on this special night and just like always he looked pretty damn good. The faded tan fatigues and flak vest had years worth of use that couldn't be replicated and his boots and gloves fitted him comfortably, though his personal favourite would always be his specialzed tactical goggles. Prototyped back in the Omnic crisis, his goggles were customized to grant him night vision, infrared, and ultraviolet for ultimate battlefield utility.

It didn't hurt that they made him look dashing either.

Smirking, Jack pulled out a can of face paint and dabbed his fingers in it, swiping his cheeks with an air of practice so he had two identical streaks on either side of his face. "Oh yeah." He nodded when a voice piped up "Are you really wearing that dusty old thing again?"

Jack sighed in exasperation, turning around to face an amused Ana. "For the last time," He started, "It's not dusty, it's just well-worn and authentic."

"Mm-hm, authentic dust. I'm sure that was difficult to make."

Jack pulled a face, "Who asked you?"

Ana chuckled as she stepped into the bathroom fully and pushed Jack to the side. Her costume made her look like one of the Junkers they heard about, her worn black cargo pants tucked into metal greaves while her frayed trenchcoat had all manner of sniper rounds and glass tubes in the loops stitched into it's side.

"...didn't Gabe make you that?" Jack remarked.

"Yes he did." Ana began wrapping her right arm in yellowed bandages, her left arm sporting enough armor to make it look like a prosthetic. "And unlike you I am not in a feud with him."

Jack dragged his fingers down his face as he groaned. "We're NOT feuding."

"Then why aren't you wearing that Captain America costume he made for you?" Ana raised an eyebrow with a knowing smirk.

"...do you hear that, it's my children calling for me, goodbye." Jack hurriedly spoke before vacating the room and he made a beeline straight for the living room.

"How do I look Dad?" Hana was wearing various cardboard boxes covering her body into the likeness of a robot in disguise, the cardboard painted hot pink with various bunny decals afixed to it.

"Like you're about to make some metal fly!" Jack praised before returning the high five she offered.

As the doorbell rang, the two heard Lena calling out from down the hall. "I've gottit!"

There was the clicking of the doorknob and creaking of hinges before an Australian accented voice yelled. "Gimme the loot or I'll light the fuse and kill us all!"

"For the love of God, it's 'trick or treat' Jimbo!" A Scottish girl snapped.

Immediately snapping to attention, Jack bolted to the door to see a Dr. Junkenstein rubbing the back of his head as he grumbled an apology to a redhead teenager who was scolding him as she used a dynamite stick that was hopefully fake to emphasize her point.

As if Halloween didn't have enough oddities.

Lena was oddly quiet, her back to her father to reveal 'Greased Lightning' painted on the back of her grey leather jacket, her windswept hair as wild as ever but had been dyed silver. When the redhead spoke again, it all became clear. "Lena? Is that you?"

"Wuh? ...OH RIGHT, uh, hi Em!" Lena managed before babbling incoherently.

Quietly approaching, Jack recalled seeing Emily before. She was comforting Amelie when he had to pick up the Reyes kids. He hadn't paid her much mind due to the stress at the time, but he smirked when he recognized that she was exactly like how Ana described her; she was Lena's type.

"Lena, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" Jack chuckled as he ducked away from his daughter's punch.

"She'sagirlandafriendbutnotmygirlfriend!" Lena screeched.

Ruffling her already messy and spiky hair, Jack turned his head to look at a blushing Emily. "I am sorry about that, it's part of my paternal responsibilities to tease her." He gave a two-fingered salute. "Jack Morrison, I'm Lena's dad. And are you the illustrious Emily I've heard about?"

Emily ran her fingers through her long red hair. "Y-yeah. Who told you...?"

"I am well aware of your first meeting in the baking aisle." Jack noted that she had a familiar shade of blue in her eyes.

"Cannae 'ave some candy now?" The adolescent Junkenstein piped up as he held out his empty toolbox.

"Who are you?" The question came from Lucio who was dressed in plain grey jeans and a t-shirt with a large pixelated M on the front, a bright pink moustache affixed to his face.

"I'm the crazed genious, Doctah Junkenstein!" Jamie cackled as there was a flash of lightning behind him accompanied by a thunderclap.

As everyone else looked around in confusion, Hana approached. "Are you a pirate?"

"Eh?" Jamie looked down at the small pink Omnic with bunny camoflauge.

"You've got a peg leg like a pirate!" Hana chirped as she pointed to the prosthetic in question.

"It's rude to point sweetie." Jack chided.

"S'fine mate!" Jamie crouched down so he was as close to eye level with the younger two as he could manage. "And I suppose I am, I did travel the whole Pacific."

"OOOOOO!" Both kids chimed in awed wonder, and then after a beat Hana asked "What's a Pass... Pass-if-ee..?"

"Pacific." Jack finished -a small smile on his face- and his two youngest nodded eagerly.

Jamie's golden eyes gleamed as he started a dramatic voice, "Woi it's jus' one o' tha' greatest places in the world, is wot it is! The Pac' is like no other, a place so wide an' vast you could look as far as the horizon an' still see nuthin' but ocean!" Both kids oo'ed again and Jamie continued, sweeping his arms out in great big motions as he narrated. "The Pac is filled with loot and gold to behold, and adventures a plenty too for the brave-hearted like meself!"

Puffing out his chest with pride, Jamie basked in the excited cheers of Hana and Lucio as they instantly latched onto their new favourite 'older-person.'

"Huh." Jack allowed, slightly surprised at how well a person who literally threatened to blow them all up just a few minutes earlier would be so good with kids when his children suddenly latched onto him with imploring faces.

"Can we go to the Pass Dad? Can we can we can we?" Lucio pleaded and Hana tugged at his pant legs, "Please please please please puh-LEEEAAASE?"

"Whoa, easy, easy! Let's just try and getting through the neighbour hood first, ok?" He tried and both of them immediately pouted.

"Awwww, that's no fun!"

"We wanna see the Pass!"

Jack couldn't help his laugh at how adorable his kiddies were when they tried to be serious and ruffled both their heads fondly. "Listen, I promise we'll go to the Pacific someday when you're older, ok? Just not tonight."

This seemed to satisfy them somewhat when they begrudingly let go of his pant leg, but even though they still had a bit of a pout Jamie saved the day when he leapt to his feet with a loud whoop.

"Cheer up, cobba's! We can have an adventure here an' now! IIIInnntroducing CAPTAIN DR. JUNKENSTEIN AND HIS LOYAL FIRST MATEY'S--" He froze, "Erm, wot's you's names again?"

"I'm Lucio!" The five year old proudly announced and Hana hopped up and down beside him, "Hana! I'm Hana!"

"ROIGHT! CAPTAIN DR JUNKENSTEIN AND HIS LOYAL POSSEY LUCIO AND HANNAAA~! We're on'a magnifi-sent quest ta steal all the candy!"

Cheering and full of excited energy, Jamie unapologetically 'stole' Hana and Lucio before Jack could even realise what was going on and danced down the street, singing loudly and horribly off tune and Jamie made up sea shanties on the spot for his younger followers. Blinking incredulously, Jack finally managed to find his voice. "What just happened?"

Ana smiled as she walked up from behind, setting a flashlight and thundersheet inocculously to the side. "I do believe that 'dingo' just ran off with your babies."

That seemed to spur Jack into action. "That little--! Uh, you got this place covered, right?"

Ana held up a placatating hand. "Trust me. Now go catch up before they get too far."

"Thanks." Jack smiled, grateful as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying after the singing trio.

"Wait up!" Lena called, miffed she'd been so easily forgotten, and quickly grabbed Emily's free hand before they too jogged after the dusty soldier.

"Not your girlfriend, huh?" Emily teased as she squeezed Lena's hand and the Brit felt her ears grow red. "Haha, it's ok. I think it's cute when you're flustered." Emily laughed easily and Lena swore the temperature cranked up another few degrees.

Clearing her throat loudly, Lena scrabbled for a change in subject before she hastily latched onto the first thing she saw. "THAT STICK! Is that--" Realising that she was in fact, staring at a stick of dynamite, Lena felt her ealier fluster dissapear as she cautiously asked, "Uhh, that's not real, right?"

Emily's smiled was replaced with exasperation and she rolled her eyes. "I really hope it's fake."

Lena blinked.

Well this was certainly going to be an interesting Halloween.

 

* * *

 

_...and here we are in the Black Forest of Germany where the fabled 'Last Bastion' wanders the forests. While many dismiss this mysterious machine as a hoax, many photos and casts of footprints shed light on the truth of the Last Bastion._

"How are we still failing to take a photo that is in focus?" Moira rubbed her temples as she watched the various blurry photos of what could be a Bastion Omnic trekking through the forest appeared on the TV.

"Change the channel then." Amelie dryly remarked as she sipped from her wineglass. She honestly couldn't fathom the appeal of beers and whiskey. Hearing the doorbell ring, the teen rose to her feet and elegantly strode to the door to open it with a nefarious laugh.

"She's Gabe's kid alright." Mako quipped as he leaned back into the couch, Moira sitting in Gabriel's recliner.

Idly flicking through the many channels, Moira sighed. "There's never anything good on these days."

Closing the door, Amelie approached. "Papa does have some movies on his hard drive." Accepting the remote her aunty offered, she brought up a list of films and selected one.

The three watched the Lord of Horror exert his authority over the town of Endsville and the incredible opening credit sequence before the doorbell rang again. "I've got this one." Mako got to his feet and headed to the front door as the Grim Reaper chased down a recently deceased man in a high speed car chase.

"...how's Emily been?" Moira ran a hand through her short hair.

The lovely face of the redhead flashed in Amelie's mind for a moment. "Bien aunty."

Nodding Moira sunk a bit further back into the recliner. "Is there...is there anything important coming up?"

Delicately lying on her side on the couch, Amelie shook her head. "Non. Besides, I believe she would tell you if there was."

"I don't think she would..." Moira murmured as a rather bitter memory decided to kick down the door to her content mental state. While Emily had insisted it wasn't a big deal, Moira was secretly hurt when she learnt that she had missed a big Christmas festival at her niece's school. It had sat at the top of a rather long list of her caretaking shortcomings for years.

Amelie seemed to pick up on the Irishwoman's sudden change in moods and was intelligent enough to spot the tinge of sadness in Moira's eyes. Brows furrowing slightly, Amelie swirled her glass absentmindedly as she tried to think of a possible response. After watching the reflections made in her chosen drink by the light of the TV for a spell, she had an idea.

"You know..." She started slowly and Moira graced her with a small glance. "When papa first took me in, he had no idea what he was doing either. Uncle Jack was a huge help back then, as he'd already been looking after Lena when they found me and could speak French. And while Papa appreciated the help, it was also....difficult, for him."

Moira raised an eyebrow and Amelie chose her next words carefully, both because of her natural tight-lipped nature in regards to her past, and also out of regards for her dear aunt.

"He would tried to hide it from me, but I could see his unhappiness. I had originally thought I was the cause, but after some time I came to realize it that wasn't quite the case. He told me, years later, how he felt his dependance on Uncle Jack had resulted in him failing me as a father when in truth it was the exact opposite."

Gold met a mismatched red and blue and Amelie gave a small, but entirely genuine, smile, "I think what I am trying to say is that parenting is different for everyone, and while it may seem like you're not doing enough, you are probably doing more than you realize."

Her smile then took on a more amused tint and Amelie stuck her free hand out, gently tapping the bottom of Moira's chin so her head tilted up. "So wipe that gloomy look off your face. There's no need for saddness when you have done nothing wrong."

Though her face betrayed nothing, Moria was stunned. She often forgot how mature Gabriel's children could be and while she knew Amelie was famed for being the level-headed one it was always a surprise when the French teen decided to put that calculatedness into play. Touching the sopt Amelie just tapped with her gloved hand, Moria surprised herself further when she asked, "Do you think Emily... Would be willing to tell me if there was? Something important, that is."

Amelie shrugged, "That, I can't tell you. But if it helps I believe she would be more than willing. She is of the kind-hearted sort."

In fact she was really kind-hearted. A little too kind-hearted, if Amelie were to be so bold. Not quite in the adorable, excited way that Lena was, but more in a calm, contented way that made you feel comfortable whenever you were near her. It was almost attractive, the way those two complimented each other, and when the three of them were together it always made Amelie feel happier than she'd ever been. Sometimes she wished she could just be with them all the time, especially during times when they could be more 'private' with each other and get to know one another just that little bit further--

Amelie blinked and just like that her thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

What was that? She thought and felt a sudden spike of panic. Just what was that!? She couldn't possibly be having any of... those kind of thoughts, could she? They were just friends, after all! Nothing new, or different, or... Or...intimate...

She mentally shuddered at how good that word felt in her mind as two familiar faces once again popped into her head and she quickly slammed a metaphorical door on them.

No! This was not some stupid, dewy-eyed teenage romance a hopelessly deluded girl wrote in a pefume-scented letter to her 'Prince Charming'! She was a Reyes, for goodness sake, and she would not let some rampaging teenage hormones get in the way of her better judgement.

With that thought, Amelie firmly wrapped that particular door with a set of heavy chains and paddlocks, locking every non-platonic emotion behind it and ignoring the embarrassed flush that dominated her face. Fortunately, that flush was only visible on her imagined face as she had long since mastered the art of 'The Impenetrable Poker Face'.

Also a good thing, as it was somewhere during her little mental outburst when Mako had finally decided to roll back in.

"What kept you?" Moria asked -not unkindly- and the huge man shrugged as he settled in a chair. "Just catching up with an old friend."

 

* * *

 

"Come along and listen to, the lullaby of Broadway!" Jesse, Genji, and Sombra sung in unison, the trio attempting to tap dance. "The hidey-ho and boop-a-do, you'll sleep all day!"

"Gooodniiight, baaaaby!" Jesse's voice went as deep as it could, the cowboy managing a rather good bass for an adolescent. "Gooodniiight, milkman's on his way!"

His siblings joined in again, all of them singing in different tones. "Sleeeeep tiiiiight, baaaaby! Sleeeeep tiiiiight, lets call it a daaaay!" There was a short sting from the brass section on the speaker as the three got into a line. "And listen to the lullaby of ooooollllld, BrooooaaadWAAAAAYYYY!"

Sombra raised both hands in the air while her brothers struck mirroring poses on either side of her, the grownup in front of them blinking before emptying the entire bowl of candy into their bags. Picking up the wireless speaker, they then returned to the sidewalk where their father was waiting. "What did I tell you?"

"Alright, alright." Jesse chuckled as he examined his bag that was bulging with candy before they had even cleared the street. "Music sure does change things."

"Where did you get the idea, Sombra?" Genji asked and their little sister gave them a smile that seemed much more sinister with her sugar-skull makeup.

"Oh, I pick things up here and there." She answered a little too innocently.

Both brother shuddered despite themselves and Jesse leant closer to Genji, "I'm not looking forward to when she grows up."

"Agreed."

Oblivious to their predicament, Sombra hummed happily and skipped back down the street to their awaiting father. "Papa!" She called, waving her pillow case, "Lookie, lookie!"

"Haha, THAT'S my little extortionist!" Gabriel cheered.

Sombra giggled. "Am I the best ex-tow-shin-it ever?"

"The very best." Her father's face was warm as he scooped her into his arms. He loved every moment he could spend with his kids, and Halloween was always one of the best.

As the other two caught up, the Reyes were about to move on when there was a sudden squeal.

"SOOOOMBRAA!!"

Starting in surprise, the males all turned too see a haphazard trio consisting of a small girl in a pink cardboard box, an equally small boy who looked suspiciously like a famous youtuber, and a ridiculously lanky mad-scientist.

Sombra's eyes lit up in recognition. "Hana! Lucy!"

Gabriel blinked, "Wait, wha--"

"We're on a quest with Jaime!" Lucio called out, "Come with us! We're gonna go slay a three-legged mountain rat!"

"I wanna come!" Sombra squealed and wiggled out of her father's arms, who was suddenly trying to figure out his beloved baby was stolen from him so quickly with a bewildered look on his face.

To the rest of the neighborhood, one would question why an anime protagonist, a cowboy, and the Angel of Death were chasing a Youtuber, pink robot, a mad scientist, and a smaller Angel of Death down the sidewalk. Any questions they had about that would suddenly mulitply when an American Green Beret, redhead, and a teenager that had the likeness of a comic book and movie superhero were joining the chase.

"Get back here!" Jack yelled as he and Gabriel led the charge.

"Or else we're confiscating all your candy!" Gabriel added.

That got Jamie and his new friends' attention as they froze, the adults and teenagers trying to avoid bowling into the little kids by stopping right on the spot which led to a six person pile up.

"Ow..."

"Genji get your foot off my crotch!"

"I think you kicked a tooth out."

"Mmphhmrrrhrrmmm!"

"Someonescrushingmychestandithurts."

"Of course the lawn was wet..."

Jamie, Lucio, Hana, and Sombra apprehensively watched as the pile of irritated people untangled themselves and eventually righted their attires. Jack adjusted his goggles while Gabriel straightened out his robes, Genji putting his wig back on as Jesse unflattened Bessie while Lena rolled her neck and Emily brushed her askew red hair back.

"We're sorry, we got too excited!" The three kindergarteners immediately hugged their fathers, both men finally relaxing.

The second Jack and Gabriel looked at each other, their faces soured. "Wow, how original. The same costume you've worn since High School." Jack sneered.

Gabriel snorted. "Wow, how original. Your work clothes."

"Oh please, I get compared to Rambo! You get compared to moody teenagers."

"At least I can make my own costume instead of using surplus!"

"You've got surplus edginess!"

"You're insults have no edge!"

Everyone else kept looking back and forth between Gabriel and Jack as they continued bickering, Lena rubbing her temples. "Not again..."

"Does this happen a lot?" Emily whispered to the Brit.

"Every Halloween." Lena gave a resigned sigh.

"Your dad looks cooler." Hana murmured to Sombra.

"I was gonna say that yours is." Sombra gave a muffled giggle.

 

* * *

 

"Happy Halloween!" Torbjiorn called out to the latest Trick Or Treaters that made their way off his step and onto the next house. Before he could close the door, he recognized the hovercar that parked itself in the driveway. "How'd it go?"

"Just missed him, but she said that she'll walk to catch up with him." Brigitte replied as she climbed out. Her auburn hair was out and gently ruffled with the long black duster she wore, an ebon Stetson perched on her head.

Nodding, Torbjiorn returned to his house with his eldest before turning off the porch light. "We're gonna have to call it a night, we're out of candy."

Brigitte blinked as she surveyed the candy bowl next to the couch. "...it's half full Papa."

Torbjiorn gave a mischevious wink.

"Ohhhh." Brigitte chuckled as she plucked her hat off along with the duster, revealing the onyx wrestler's unitard she wore underneath. The mechanic and her father then took a seat on the couch and dug into the last of the Halloween sweets before switching on the TV.

"How's work been?" Torbjiorn asked before popping a KitKat into his mouth.

Chewing on a mouthful of Skittles, Brigitte swallowed before answering. "Very good! Mako has got me up to my armpits in engines and reactors all day."

Giving an approving nod, Torbjiorn began unwrapping a Coffe Crisp. "You're a real greasemonkey."

The tips of Brigitte's ears turned red. "Thanks Papa."

The two of them finished off the bowl while swtiching through various TV shows, Torbjiorn sighing in disapointment. "They don't make TV like they used to..."

Despite her younger outlook on television, Brigitte found herself agreeing with her father. Gathering up the discarded wrappers, the teen hastily stuffed them into the garbage bin before heading to the fridge. When she returned to the couch, she had a case of Rickards Red. "To wash the smell of chocolate out."

Chuckling, Torbjiorn cracked open a can. "You definitely picked up your mother's cunning."

Glancing at the TV, Brigitte's eyes lit up. "Ohhh! They're rerunning it!"

Recognizing the two men on screen, Torbjiorn scooted closer. "Finally! Some quality programming!"

On the TV, a bespectacled man with a cropped blonde beard and black t-shirt was looking into the camera. "Please don't try anything you're about to see us do at home."

"Ever!" Added a man in a white dress shirt, a black beret atop his bald head while a walrus-like moustache was under his nose and he too had glasses.

 

* * *

 

 

Unsurprisingly, Jack found himself bickering with Gabriel the second the two crossed paths. While they still continued Trick Or Treating, their progress was slowed for nearly half an hour as the two exchanged barbs. However, the less-then-subtle and probably not very witty insults at each other's fashion sense ended when an all-too familiar witch approached.

"Hi Angela." Jack greeted with a small wave.

"Hello Jack, Gabriel." The detective could've sworn that he saw a slight reddish tint to Angela's cheeks when she looked at Gabriel.

"...h-hi Angela." The hood and dark lighting made it hard to tell, but Jack was beginning to wonder if Gabriel was blushing.

There was a tense and silent moment before Jack spoke, his eyes darting between the doctor and SWAT commander behind his visor. "Like the costume Angie."

"Thank you." It really did look good on her. The skirt was black and orange and went a little below the knees while the top looked like a hybrid of a pirate and classic witch's outfit.

"Hi Angel!" Jesse's called out as he led the kids back to the sidewalk, their pillowcases bursting with their accumulated loot while Jamie struggled to keep his toolbox shut.

Watching Angela turn her attention to the minors, Jack could've sworn that there was a flash of...longing? It was too quick to tell and he forgot to switch from infrared to night vision. But that still raised the question of why she would have that look on her face, Jack turning his attention to Gabriel who's hooded visage followed Angela's movements.

While his helmet hid it, Jack's eyebrows went to his hairline.

He had to admit that anyone being attracted to either Gabriel or Angela was no surprise, Gabriel looked like a macho fountain statue while Angela still looked radiant when her hair was a mess and she had pulled an all-nighter. But the two being attracted to each other?

Opting to "cover the rear", Jack noticed the slight sag in Gabriel's shoulders, the Reaper walking behind the witch while the kids were crowded all around. Gabriel's head tilted too, a slight lean that could easily be missed if one did not know to look for it. Turning his attention to Angela, the ex-soldier noticed how she kept looking around to give each kid equal attention, but she kept glancing at Gabriel. Even more so, Jack's infrared picked up the slightest of changes to her face's temperature every time she looked at Gabriel.

Reaching the next house, the Green Beret and Reaper waited at the sidewalk while the rest of their group headed to the door. "For a covert operative, you are not that subtle Gabe."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he craned his head to face Jack. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon Gabe, it's obvious." Jack chuckled. "I know we're not really friends anymore, but you still read like an open book."

Gabriel's hands slightly wrung his scythe. "...I don't know what you're talking about.

"I'm not going to tease you about it Gabe." Jack sincerely replied. "But it's obvious and you seem content on keeping it under wraps."

Gabriel cleared his throat. "This isn't really clearing anything up Jack."

"Look Gabe, you're kids aren't stupid. I wouldn't put it past them to know you as well as I do. It's only a matter of time before they notice it too."

Pulling his hood lower for a moment, Gabriel gave a bitter sigh. "...you're a detective alright."

"Should be, I've got the badge." Jack remarked.

"Okay, fine..." Gabriel leaned his scythe on one shoulder, his face contorting with rage. "But you tell anyone and I will personally dismember you." After Jack nodded, Gabriel gave a sigh. "....okay, yes. Sombra painted my nails."

Jack's train of thought hit the brakes.

"Amelie and the boys wouldn't let her do theirs, she asked me, and I didn't have the heart to say no." Gabriel grumbled. "That's why I've been wearing these tacky skeleton gloves all night, okay?"

Taking nearly a minute to process this, Jack realized that Gabriel was waiting for a response. "Ah, I see..."

Their conversation was cut short as the rest of their group rejoined them, Jack taking up the rear as they pressed on into the night. He still saw the same little signs, Jack shaking his head. Of all the people to fall for each other, it had to be the two that had to look up "romance" in the dictionary to be any good on a date.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece is winding down, only a couple chapters left. However, it will mark the end of autumn and beginning of the Winter piece!


	12. Dia de los Muertos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Day of the Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be a Maori Canadian, but do spend some of this day remembering those in your family you have passed away. Also, I apologize if my Spanish is atrocious, I cannot get accented letters on my keyboard and my memory's hazy at best

Some would ask why Gabriel chose to live in a neighborhood that was a street away from a graveyard. The students of the local schools would attribute this decision to the edgy persona of 'Old Man Reaper', but Gabriel never saw the need in trying to correct them. He enjoyed cultivating his aura of menace, but the truth behind his decision left a bitter feeling in his heart.

"...thanks for growing Marigolds boys." Gabriel turned his face to the two in question, the entire Reyes family sporting sugar skull makeup.

"Not like either of us could forget Grandma's stories." Jesse solemnly replied, the cowboy carrying a basket full of marigold petals.

Carefully picking their way through the cemetary, the Reyes' were buffeted by the cool autumn breeze, a light frost scattered across the ground. All of them were dressed for the weather, Gabriel in his black leather trenchcoat and toque while Sombra had her coat and winter boots, the kindergartener riding her father's shoulders. "There's someone seeing Abuela Papa."

"Eh?" Turning his face, Gabriel saw that there was indeed someone else at the grave. As the Reyes family neared, the Reyes patriarch's eyes widened.

"...hey Gabe." Jack gave a small wave, a brown paper bag tucked under his arm.

"Bonjour Uncle." Amelie pulled her scarf in tighter against the chilling wind, her violet coat buttoned up.

Lowering his youngest onto the ground, Gabriel was silent as he regarded Jack. "I uh...brought her candles." The detective opened the bag to reveal the box of ivory candles.

The autumn wind made Gabriel's coat billow behind him, his face grim and mournful. "...thank you."

"Hola Abuela!" Sombra knelt in front of the gravestone, her brothers sprinkling the marigold petals onto the ground to form a trail. Engraved on the gravestone was 'In loving memory of Olivia Maria Sanchez Reyes', Sombra tentatively laying a freshly baked loaf of bread on the grave. "Papa says that you taught him bread baking! We made this for you."

Removing his hat, Jesse gently grabbed the small pink flower that was tucked into the band around Bessie and plucked it out. "I remember that you liked these ones the most." The cowboy sadly smiled as he placed it next to the loaf of bread.

Amelie was silent as she placed another bread loaf onto the grave, her lips drawn into a tight line. Her stepfather and uncle carefully arranged candles along the sides, Gabriel producing a Zippo lighter with a skull and crossbones design engraved into the metal. Striking it a few times, he ignited each candle and handed the lighter to Genji.

"I uh...I'm a bit new to the Day of the Dead..." The adolescent placed the incense offering in the middle before igniting it. "But you were more of a grandmother to me then anyone else. I do hope that you appreciate a bit of my native culture."

"She appreciates it." Gabriel reassured Genji, one of his gloved hands resting on the preteen's shoulder.

"Can I tell Abuela about my first month of school?" Sombra asked Gabriel. Once he nodded, the kindergartener eagerly turned to face her grandmother's grave. "So this is what I just started school and I made some new friends..."

Jack and Gabriel were silent as they stood and watched Sombra recounting the past few weeks, the Reyes boys adding their own commentary. Noticing the slight twitch in Amelie's hands, Gabriel gave a short nod and the French teen silently walked away with a basket of marigold petals. She left a trail connecting to the one from her grandmother's that led to another grave, one that read 'Gerard Lacroix, a most selfless and fearless young man'.

Kneeling in front of the grave, Amelie bowed her head as tears dripped down her face. Try as she might, she could not forget the sight of the life leaving Gerard's eyes as his broken body was stretched across the road. He didn't even scream in pain or cry, he only smiled as he caressed her cheek one last time.

Burying her hands in her face, Amelie wept with tears she had kept dammed behind her icy visage.

There was a familiar and comforting arm around her, Amelie burying her face into Gabriel's shoulder. "I miss him...so, so much." The brokenhearted woman sobbed.

Holding her like this, Gabriel recalled when he found a young and crying girl all those years ago in Paris. He knew no French and she didn't understand English or Spanish, but the simple act of giving a comforting hug to her led to the soldier being called 'Papa' for the first time.

"I miss him too." Gabriel murmured.

The Reyes family had never been known for vocalizing their feelings. They were people of action, preferring to show rather then tell. Watching Sombra and her brothers telling stories to their grandmother's grave, Jack found himself remembering that despite the barbed comments and sneers he and Gabriel exchanged, neither one so much as slapped the other despite vowing bloody vengeance on each other seven years ago.

"Hana's Dad?" Sombra lightly tugged on Jack's coat.

"Hmmm?" Jack blinked a view times before realizing that the younger three Reyes kids were looking at him. "Yeah?"

"Did you know Abuela too?"

"I sure did." Jack gave a watery smile. "In fact, did your Dad ever tell you about the time he and your Abuela had me and my siblings and my father over for Christmas?" When all of the kids shook their heads, Jack knelt so he was eye level. "Well, I do believe that your Abuela would love to hear this story again. So, my family had just flown in from Indiana..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry if this is not quite my best, I wrote this at 3am


	13. A Pittance of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The death of one is a tragedy. The death of millions is just a statistic."  
> -Josef Stalin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On this day 100 years ago at 11:11am, the First World War ended. Every year on this day I take part in Remembrance Day, remembering that millions died not only in WWI, but also WWII and in the Middle East as well. It sickened me last year that aside from my brother and me, only one other person remembered what this day means. It was the day that soldiers fighting in a war so far from home were told that they could finally go home, not some holiday for cheaper booze.
> 
> What's more is that there's no Canadian hero in Overwatch. I'm aware that Rememberance Day is mostly Canadian, but it does not change that WWI ended on November 11th, 1918.
> 
> Please remember those who went to fight someone else's war and never came home.

For someone so boisterous and had a contagious laugh like a thunderclap, Reinhardt was unusually solemn and grim. The times his school saw him like this, they would only stare in silence as a man so full of life had become so quiet and unsmiling. But for the Egyptian woman and Swedish man in Blue Beret uniforms, they knew first hand why the colossal man had fallen quiet.

"...is it always this empty?" Ana surveyed the park. Aside from herself and her company, it was virtually deserted.

"More or less." Torbjiorn muttered.

Fareeha and Brigitte were eerily quiet as well, the two teenagers dressed in their finest clothes. Reinhardt sported the formal grey uniform of the German army, a peaked cap seated atop his head. Pinned to his lapel was a single medal, a pair of crossed hammers crafted from iron.

"...so few remember them." Reinhardt spoke in a low voice as he surveyed the memorial that sat in the middle of the park. It was a simple granite obelisk, plaques with hundreds of names engraved upon them mounted on each side. Bowing his head, Reinhardt read a few of the names. He knew those fallen soldiers, he knew them all too well.

Approaching footsteps drew the group's attention, all of them turning to see Gabriel and Jack heading towards them, the two dressed in desert camoflauged fatigues with a Green Beret and the stars and stripes patch sewn onto their sleeves. Their children followed, the Reyes and Morrison kids sporting neatly pressed formal wear.

"...you came." Reinhardt quietly remarked at the two Green Berets.

"I always pay my respects." Jack solemnly replied, Jesse scooting past him to lay a wreath made of flowers at the base of the memorial.

"The wreath looks lovely." A familiar Irish accented voice commented, Moira and Emily appearing. The coroner wore a black uniform with the Irish flag and red cross patches sewn onto her sleeve while a pair of black sunglasses covered her mismatched eyes.

Glancing past the lanky redhead, Gabriel saw the familiar Swisswoman that made her way over. While her uniform was colored grey and tan, the red cross too adorned her sleeve. She seemed surprised as she looked at each face that was gathered. "...I think this is the first time we've all been together."

Looking at Gabriel and Moira, Jack felt no bitterness or spite towards them. "Well, first time in a few years."

The veterans turned their gazes to the largest plaque on the memorial that read; 'Dedicated to the heroic actions of the Devil's Brigade who fought to defend the innocent in the European theater. May their souls find solace in the peace that has been achieved only through their sacrifice.'

A red poppy was pinned to the lapels of everyone who was there, the cold autumn breeze whispering past them. As his watch neared 11:10, Reinhardt was the first to raise his right hand in a salute. Ana, Jack, Gabriel, Torbjior, Angela, and Moira followed suit as their gathered children bowed their heads.

Closing her eyes, Amelie's voice rang out as the clock read 11:11. "In Flander's fields, the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row."

Jack recognized one of the names on the plaques, 'Vincent Crowe'. He recalled the grizzled old man who led the unapproved operation straight into the Central European Omnium.

"That marks our place, and in the sky the larks still bravely singing fly." Amelie continued to sing, her voice as mournful as a banshee. "Scarce heard amid the guns below."

Gabriel's memory reminded him of the Devil's Brigadier who covered him when he found Amelie, the Canadian not hesitating to draw the Bastion's attention away from him and the young French girl.

"We are the dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn saw sunset glow." Amelie felt a single tear escape as she sung.

Ana's lips formed a tight line at the memory of 'Old Ironsides', the Devil's Brigadier that jumped over the grenade that took only her eye when it would've taken much more.

"And now we lie..." Amelie raised her head. "...in Flander's Fields."

Torbjiorn grimaced as he thought back to the night he chose to turn a blind eye to the Devil's Brigadiers that commandeered a fleet of helicopters for a mission that only a handful of them returned from.

"Take up our quarrel with the foe." Amelie's hands clenched together. "From failing hands we throw you the torch..."

Angela felt a stray tear roll down her cheek, the memory of the terrified Devil's Brigadier who lost his legs all to clear as he clung to her, begging to stay just a little while longer.

"Be yours to hold it high." Amelie read the hundreds of names of fallen soldiers that were mounted on the memorial. "If ye break faith with us who die..."

Moira's frown deepened as she remembered the body bags she zipped up, the dead from the Devil's Brigade the most mutilated corpses she had ever seen.

Amelie closed her eyes, the gunfire and screams still ringing in her ears. "We shall not sleep..."

Reinhardt felt silent tears drip into his beard as he remembered Jimmy Schmidt. He could still feel the strong grip of the Devil's Brigadier as he hugged Reinhardt as if they were brothers, the Canadian one of many that the Crusaders could not defend.

Yet if it weren't for their sacrifice to permanently disable the Central European Omnium, none of them would be here on the day the Devil's Brigade dedicated to the memory of their predecessors who took on the most dangerous missions to topple another genocidal oppressor.

"...the poppies blow, in Flander's fields."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Founded in WWII, the Devil's Brigade remained operational during the Omnic Crisis as a branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. A detachment of the Brigade was stationed in Europe where they embarked on an unsanctioned operation to neutralize the Central European Omnium. While it cost nearly the entire detachment, they succeeded in detonating an EMP that disabled the Omnium long enough to be properly shut down. While it did not end the Crisis, it is still regarded as one of the major turning points in the war.
> 
> And on this solemn note, I've completed this work. But not the series, we've still got winter to go! Thank you so much for reading it, especially those who have been diehard readers since the prototype that came out a long while back.
> 
> Looking forward to writing for you all again real soon.  
> -RabidSquid


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